On September 19, 2024, a landmark meeting took place between Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine and Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych. The meeting marked a new stage of cooperation between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and government in solving pressing social problems.
The OCU press service says ambitious projects aimed at supporting the most vulnerable population strata were discussed, including:
- Assistance to orphans and promotion of adoption
- Social rehabilitation of war veterans and their families
- Support for IDPs with disabilities and the elderly
- Creation of sustainability centers with the participation of religious communities
- Rehabilitation of abused women
Special attention was paid to the promo support of the government program of free prosthetics for war veterans.
Experts believe that such cooperation can become a model for other countries where the church plays an important role in public life.