Pranyuk: By sharing specific stories of helping people, we attract new volunteers to the Red Cross.

Viktor Pranyuk. February 19, Grodno. More than 26,000 residents of the Grodno region received services from the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross in 2024 : these included lonely elderly people, people with disabilities, children in crisis , refugees, forced migrants, low-income people, people in difficult life situations, and others. How to engage as many citizens as possible in supporting this socially significant public organization, how to expand its activities, and how to reach a larger number of people in need were discussed at the final meeting of the presidium of the regional organization of the BRC, chaired by Viktor Pranyuk, chairman of the presidium and deputy chairman of the regional executive committee, BelTA reports.  

"Beneficiaries received over 176,000 services, the majority of which—77.9%—were provided by the Dapamoga medical and social service. Dapamoga operates in 15 districts of the region under a state social contract. Last year, the service expanded to six districts: Svisloch, Korelichi, Smorgon, Berestovitsky, Ivyevsky, and Voronovsky," noted Natalia Melnichuk, chair of the regional organization of the BKK.  

The scope of services provided to the public under the state social contract also expanded last year: three contracts were signed with the Main Health Department of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee. Thanks to this, preventive measures were implemented to prevent the spread of socially dangerous diseases and the human immunodeficiency virus through the projects "Early Detection of Tuberculosis," "Prevention of the Spread of HIV," and "Rehabilitation Support for Persons Suffering from Alcohol Dependence." More than 2,300 vulnerable individuals received assistance.

The Grodno Humanitarian Center of the Grodno Regional Organization of the Belarusian Red Cross, opened in 2024, has been actively operating since its first months. It offers a range of services: a support center for families raising children with disabilities, a crisis room for temporary accommodation of foreign citizens and stateless persons in difficult life situations, and an information and training center. Services offered free of charge include "Social Taxi," "Second Hands" (collecting and distributing clothing, footwear, and household items from the public), "Rehabilitation Equipment Rental," "Nanny Instead of Mom," and humanitarian aid. These services have already benefited 826 people, including 79 residents of the support center for families raising children with disabilities. These services include therapeutic swimming, therapeutic massage, corrective and developmental education, boccia, social rehabilitation and psychosocial support, home psychosocial support, and summer recreation.

Thanks to the support of JSC "Molochny Mir"Fifty children and their parents from Grodno, Mostovsky, Slonim, Berestovitsky, Voronovsky, and Dyatlovo districts spent the summer at a Red Cross integration camp.

The number of Red Cross volunteers in the region has also grown: today, 139 volunteer groups support full-time staff. Six volunteer initiatives have been implemented with the organization's own funds: "Start Helping in Spring," "Find the Volunteer in You," "The Path to Health and Balance," "Territory of Kindness," "Young Donors Club," and "Impulse." Four response teams have been created in the region, including five support teams for emergency response. In partnership with the Grodno Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, a regional school on emergency preparedness and response was held. The organization is not complacent and has set new, important goals for 2025.
 
The work of the Red Cross in the Grodno region has been recognized at the national level. According to Sergei Shagun, First Deputy Secretary General of the Red Cross, who participated in the meeting via videoconference, the Grodno regional organization of the Red Cross was recognized as the best in the country based on its performance in 2024.

"This places a great responsibility on us," said Viktor Pranyuk, chairman of the regional Red Cross organization's presidium. "This means we must expand the circle of people and organizations involved in providing assistance, so every district must provide the Red Cross with comprehensive support in implementing useful initiatives. To attract people to these initiatives, they need to actively and clearly explain, using specific examples of helping the lonely, the sick, and those in difficult situations, why the Red Cross's work is so important and why it deserves support. This should be discussed at meetings with work collectives and in educational institutions. Experience shows that those who actively engage in these activities are those who see through their work how much demand there is for this public organization's projects. In healthcare, education, and social protection, no one needs to be convinced of this. Everyone, wherever they work, should know about this."   

Viktor Pranyuk also emphasized that Red Cross staff and volunteers should talk more frequently and in greater detail about their work, sharing impressive stories of support in state-run media, on their online pages, and on social media. Those who receive such assistance can also tell stories firsthand, whether they are a lonely elderly grandmother, a family in difficult circumstances, a mother raising a disabled child, or parents with many children . It's worth emphasizing that significant effort and resources are invested in all charitable projects, and it's important to highlight the Red Cross's partners, whose partnerships enhance the assistance provided.