Summary of the ECCB’s aid for Ukrainian refugees

March 1, 2023

We thank all those who have joined in helping people from Ukraine over the past year. We thank the dozens of congregations and hundreds of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who has offered a helping hand!

Summary of the ECCB’s aid for Ukrainian refugees
March 1, 2023 - Summary of the ECCB’s aid for Ukrainian refugees

This article provides a brief summary of the ECCB’s aid. Below, you can find information on how we helped financially and what we are planning for this year.

The total amount of funds raised to help Ukrainian refugees is  CZK 9.1 million.

  • CZK 5.3 million – distributed directly to congregations for renovation/construction work and leisure activities
  • CZK 3.3 million – support for congregations provided by paid coordinators
  • CZK 0.5 million – saved funds

Construction and renovation work for increasing the quality and capacity of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees

  • A total of 41 congregations and 2 schools of the Evangelical Academy (EA) received financial support
  • Financial resources: LWF, Presbyterian Church of Korea, Sewickley Presbyterian Church – USA, Christian Television System – Korea, LWF-ELCA
  • A total of CZK 4.1 million was distributed

Leisure activities for Ukrainian refugees

  • A total of 21 congregations, 1 school of the EA, and the ECCB as a church received support
  • Financial resources: LWF-ELCA and NFVTŘ
  • A total of CZK 1.2 million was distributed

Aid coordinators for Ukrainian refugees

  • 7 full time employments were supported in total (split between up to 13 workers), plus administrative support for the Central Church Office
  • financial resources: ELKB, EKHN, EkiBa, EKiR, HEKS, EvLKS, GAW
  • CZK 3.3 million was distributed
  • The following congregations received support: Ústí nad Labem, Teplice, Horní Dubénky, Praha 8-Kobylisy, Lysá nad Labem, Vrchlabí, Brno-Židenice, Soběhrdy, Jimramov

Support planned for 2023

Czech as a second language (UA)

  • Support agreed for the continuation of teaching the Czech language until 06/2023
  • Financed by the ECCB’s Diaconia and partially through the Central Church Office
  • Only for the congregations that have already taught Czech in 2022
  • ECCB Diaconia contact person Zuzana Spilková
  • ECCB Central Church Office contact person Petr Mokrejš

Leisure activities (UA)

  • An offer of support has been sent out to the congregations that have already provided leisure activities in 2022
  • Support of up to CZK 12 thousand/month for the period from January to December 2023
  • Congregations that were not contacted directly may apply to the contact persons if interested
  • Contact persons: Petr Mokrejš and Eva Balcarová

Women’s circles (UA)

  • leisure/psychosocial/integration activities for Ukrainian and Czech women
  • support of up to CZK 75,900 for each congregation organizing women’s circles
  • contact person at the ECCB’s Central Church Office: Valerie Stulíková

Support in the energy crisis (UA)

  • Offer of support sent out to congregations
  • Contribution to congregations’ energy costs during the 2022/2023 heating season
  • Contribution of up to CZK 30 thousand per congregation
  • Contact person: Petr Mokrejš

Support for congregations assisting refugees (UA)

  • Continued support for congregations dealing with difficult situations when helping Ukrainian refugees
  • Contact persons at the ECCB’s Central Church Office: Valerie Stulíková and Eva Balcarová

Should your congregation have a larger amount of funds designated for helping Ukrainian refugees than you are able use within your congregation, we recommend that you send these funds to the Special Purpose Gifts Fund of the ECCB, which is currently being used for needs related to aid for Ukraine. From this fund, the money can then be further distributed for the above-mentioned purposes.

You can send such funds to account no. 7171717171/2700 using the following variable symbol: 911700xxxx (xxxx being the number of the given congregation).