The Lutsk City Center of Social Services for Family, Children and Youth began its activities on December 25, 2000. Its creation was preceded by the painstaking work of its current (and permanent) director Nina Hrabarovska. As she notes today, without the assistance and constant support of the Lutsk city authorities, the Center's work would hardly be what it is today. And whether such a center would function at all.
Over the five years of the Center's activity, much has been done. This was discussed by friends and partners who were present at the "round table" meeting on the occasion of the first small anniversary: deputy director of the Volyn Regional Center of SSSFM Volodymyr Radchuk, head of the Volyn Charitable Foundation "TAVITA", deputy director for educational work of VPU-6 Antonina Doskach, deputy director for educational work of PTU-12 Liudmyla Fenina, deputy director of the Lutsk boarding school Lidiia Chepela, director of the center for children's and youth creativity "Dyvo" Ivanna Horbachuk, acting head of the Board of the rehabilitation center for persons disabled since childhood "Dzherelo Zhyttia" Liudmyla Zelinska. Over the five years of activity, the Center's employees organized more than 600 group events aimed at adapting young people to independent life, preventing harmful habits and crimes, provided over 5,000 individual services, and also distributed 20 thousand booklets aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, combating violence, protecting children's rights, and more. During the charitable campaigns "Let's Take Orphans Under Our Parental Wing," "Charitable Donors – to Children Deprived of Parental Care," "Let's Give the Joy of Life to Underprivileged Children," 15 thousand hryvnias were transferred for treatment and health improvement. Adolescents, young people and families in crisis situations received more than three tons of food products. A volunteer group "Kind Hearts" operates at the Center, where about 400 volunteers from among school and student youth have completed the "school of mercy." The range of volunteers' activities is broad – from organizing events for children of the rehabilitation center for persons disabled since childhood to working with young people who have returned from places of imprisonment.
The "Trust Phone" is another, no less important component of the Center's work. During its operation (April 2005), about 1,500 Lutsk residents have called and received professional consultations of a psychological, legal, social-pedagogical and informational nature. Also, 7 thematic "hotlines" were organized, in which specialists from health care, the pension fund, law enforcement agencies, social protection of the regional education department, and the city employment center participated. It is worth noting that the Center also provides free legal consultations by a qualified lawyer.