An online meeting was held between representatives of the social protection sector from the Bakhmut and Gostomel communities on the topic “Social Services Under Martial Law.”
The event was organized by the Social Protection Department of the Bakhmut City Council as part of the national project “Side by Side: United Communities.”
Meeting participants discussed current issues regarding the organization of social work under martial law, presented practical best practices from their communities, and shared approaches to meeting the needs of people who require special attention and support.
Tetyana Hnatenko, director of the municipal institution “Gostomel Social Services Center,” spoke about the Gostomel community’s experience in providing social services.
Inna Spodina, Head of the Department of Social Protection of the Population at the Bakhmut City Council, provided information on the organization of social protection in the Bakhmut community, the main challenges, and approaches to supporting residents.
Marina Pogorelova, Director of the Bakhmut City Council’s Center for Social Services, spoke about the center’s activities and the specific challenges of working under wartime conditions.
During the open discussion, attention was focused on issues such as the timely identification of people’s needs, the organization of social support, counseling, cooperation with other institutions, and the search for effective mechanisms to support the population.
This work is of particular importance for internally displaced persons, older adults, people with disabilities, families with children, and other categories of citizens in need of social assistance.
The main conclusion of the meeting was that, despite differing working conditions, communities are united by a common goal: to provide people with timely, accessible, and high-quality social support.
Based on materials from the Bakhmut City Council