Holidays of Ukraine - Foundation Day of the Red Cross Society in Ukraine

April 18 - on this day in 1918, the Red Cross officially began its merciful and noble activities on the territory of Ukraine Charitable medical care began to be provided in Kyiv in 1878 by the sisters of mercy of the Mariinsky community The difficult military-revolutionary time of the First World War set before them many tasks not only of a medical nature, and throughout the country: caring for orphans, caring for the disabled, assisting refugees and prisoners of war, resisting hunger and epidemics The Mariinsky community initiated the 1st Congress of the Society, which began on April 15, 1918 On April 18, all decisions on the activities of the organization were made, and this date began to be considered the founding day A colossal amount of work was done: infirmaries, hospitals, public baths and laundries were organized, food centers were opened for those in need, and paramedic stations were equipped The Ukrainian Red Cross founded more than a thousand specialized treatment centers just to combat the typhus epidemic During the particularly hungry and difficult years of 1921-1923, the Society’s employees distributed food rations to the peasants The Red Cross made a huge, invaluable contribution during the Great Patriotic War: with its help, more than 100 thousand volunteers received the necessary training and went to the front as nurses and medical instructors The State Decree giving the Red Cross Society the status of the only National Society was signed by the President on October 28, 1992 This Decree at the official level allows us to provide support to the state in the humanitarian sphere The Ukrainian Red Cross currently has about 7 million supporters and activists, and implements over 40 public projects throughout the country, which are financed by voluntary donations Various events are held for the population: Health Day, Tuberculosis Day Every year, the organization’s employees help several hundred thousand lonely elderly people, disabled people, WWII participants, and HIV-infected people The National Society has opened more than 800 first aid stations in remote rural areas in recent years Another achievement was the creation of the Tracing Service, which helps find loved ones whose contact has been lost as a result of life circumstances The date April 18 is a holiday for all employees of the Red Cross Society, volunteers and representatives of the progressive public who have chosen humanity, voluntariness and compassion in their daily work