Caritas Diocesana di Udine carries out its activities in the spirit of the Gospel in the service of the needy and the poor. Its mission is not only to provide direct assistance - for example, in the form of food, clothing or accommodation - but also to sensitize communities to the values ​​of solidarity, justice and human dignity.

From 6 to 9 October 2025, representatives of Caritas Diocesana di Udine paid a four-day visit to Transcarpathia, during which they strengthened their strategic partnership with the “Saint Martin Caritas” Transcarpathian County Charity Foundation. The cooperation began a year and a half ago, and this was the third time the institution had been visited. The purpose of the current trip was to conclude and evaluate the past one-year program period, as well as to review further areas of cooperation.

The following results were reviewed during the visit:

· Vylok: The renovation of the caritas house and social kitchen, operated by the local “Saint Francis Caritas", has been completed. Only the sewage works remain. The most important result is that the kitchen is already operating in its new location. The renovation was supported by several other foreign organizations (Renovabis, Missio Pro Europa, Camillian Order Province, Transcarpathian Franciscan Mission Foundation), without which we would not have been able to realize this large-scale investment.

· Nagyberezna: The constraction at the family-type children's home, the Revay family, has been successfully completed. The new building is 60 sq m and provides space for the garage, wood storage and pantry. The investment significantly facilitates the family's everyday life.

· Roma pastoral care: Caritas Udine supported the operation of Roma social kitchens and the feeding of children in Viskovo, Holmok, Koncovo and Galoch, where they were able to provide regular meals to the most needy children.

Food packages and firewood distribution: In Chornotysyv and Tekovo, families in need received food packages, and thanks to supporters, approximately 126 m³ of firewood was purchased for Roma families in need in Holmok, Koncovo, Beregujfalu, Pavshino and Mukachevo. By purchasing school supplies and development booklets, a total of 211 children were able to continue their studies. 30 children in Beregujfalu, 45 in Holmok, 60 in Koncovo, 31 in Pavshino and 45 in Galoch received this type of support.

During the visit, they visited some of the institutions belonging to Diocesian Caritas. In Vylok, they visited the social kitchen and the caritas house, where some finishing work still needs to be done. At the Caritas in Vynohradiv, they requested support for the completion of a small farm. There, a plan to establish an electric car charging station was also raised, and they also requested help for the final completion of the local caritas house.

In Vynohradiv, they also visited the rehabilitation center and the kindergarten. Here, smaller grants would be needed, for example, to complete the fence. In Khust, they also visited similar institutions; here, the lack of equipment is a problem - among other things, a meat grinder and a dishwasher would be needed.

One of the important stops of the visit was the children's complex in Rativtsi, where four children's homes and a rehabilitation center operate. In the spirit of sustainable operation, the need to install solar panels was raised here, however, this requires a significant financial investment.

They also visited the elderly home in Galoch, where they discussed the development opportunities necessary to improve the daily lives of the residents there.

In connection with the operation of the social kitchen in Uzhgorod, Laslo Prodanyuk, the director of the institution, reported on the current challenges and needs.

Despite the busy program, not all planned locations were visited during the visit - for example, the visitationof the St. Gellert College in Uzhgorod was left out due to the lack of time.

Caritas Diocesana di Udine is committed to being present and providing assistance to Transcarpathian communities in difficult situations - regardless of religious and ethnic affiliation. The current visit was also part of this solidarity commitment.