The Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service has allocated 500,000 rubles for the development of the Maria Women's Support Center, operating under the Orthodox Mercy Service of the Yekaterinburg Diocese.
The project became one of the winners of the second competition of church family projects of the Synodal Department for Charity, aimed at supporting family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood. The allocated funds will be used, among other things, to attract the necessary specialists to the project and purchase equipment.
The Maria Women's Support Center opened on November 7, 2024. During this time, 68 women and 53 children have already received assistance at the center.
They help girls from orphanages entering adulthood, women who find themselves on the streets, women in crisis and with difficulties finding work and housing. The center can accommodate up to 10 people at a time.
Women can receive temporary housing, psychological, social, legal and spiritual support here. The center's specialists help to restore documents, resolve employment issues, master necessary household skills, and establish cooperation with government agencies. Psychological meetings, master classes, life skills development classes, and conversations with a priest are also regularly held.
"We are convinced that it is important for a person in crisis not only to provide temporary housing. It is equally important to help people believe in themselves again, feel supported and find the strength to start a new life. This is exactly what our center exists for," said Aslan Alekperov, head of the Maria Women's Support Center.
In 2026, the project was among the finalists of the all-Russian Living Together award, which, according to the center's management, was a high appreciation of its work and an additional incentive for further development.