The public kitchen of the humanitarian organization Caritas Kotorsko Biksupija was opened last night in Tivat, in part of the premises of the former Fire Station in Pakovo.
Premises with an area of about 30 square meters in this building, which is owned by the Municipality of Tivat, were given free of charge for a period of five years by the decision of the local parliament in that city to Caritas of the Diocese of Kotor, which, with the financial support of a donor - a Montenegrin family from Berlin who wished to remain anonymous , arranged and equipped the National Kitchen here. Its services will be used by all citizens who are in a state of social need and cannot otherwise provide themselves with at least one hot meal a day. The kitchen will work seven days a week, and according to the director of Caritas of the Diocese of Kotor, Don Željko Pasković, it will distribute between 50 and 80 meals a day.
"The original idea was for the kitchen to be in Prčanje as part of the Sveti Nikola monastery, but God's providence and understanding of the local community, led by the President of the Municipality Željko Komnenović and the President of the Municipal Council Miljan Marković, led to the location being in the municipality of Tivat. None of this would be possible if it were not for the generosity of a well-known Montenegrin family from Berlin, who insist on anonymity, which I greatly respect. They are a family that helps everyone. Their wish and mine is that we do not limit ourselves to the number of users, and we already have about 50 registered people who will come, and food will be delivered to most of them because they are elderly and disabled. "- said don Željko Pasković, addressing the audience, among whom were representatives of the local administration of Tivat, the Red Cross, Caritas Montenegro and numerous other prominent individuals and Tivat humanitarian and health workers.
There were also representatives of the Voluntary Firefighting Society "Tivat", which uses the second wing of the old Firehouse building in Pakovo, and who also, as pointed out, wholeheartedly supported and helped the opening and equipping of the National Kitchen.
In addition to the head donor - a Montenegrin family from Berlin, Pasković thanked the Municipality of Tivat, which gave Caritas the use of a location in the very center of Tivat, as well as all local companies and individuals who stood behind this project and promised that after the opening of the kitchen, they would do it even more to support. Don Pasković expressed particular satisfaction with the fact that the National Kitchen in Tivat opens on the feast of St. Joseph and before the upcoming Easter holidays. He announced that on this occasion, the National Kitchen will have a campaign to give away painted eggs for both Catholic and Orthodox Easter, "and taking into account that we will also have a significant number of users of the Islamic religion, none of the food that will be prepared here will have ingredients that are forbidden by the holy books."
"In this way, we have adapted to everyone, because we have only one desire - that all those who are hungry and in a state of need, can come here and take a meal or it will be delivered to them," said Pasković, who also blessed the premises of the newly opened Narodna kitchen.
In addition to the priests of the Kotor Diocese, where Caritas operates as a church humanitarian organization, the opening ceremony of the National Kitchen was also attended by the parish priest of Tivat, Father Petar Petrović, who was the first to congratulate his colleagues from the Catholic Church on this mutually beneficial undertaking and wished him success.
Conveying the greetings of the archbishop of Bar and the administrator of the Diocese of Kotor, Monsignor Roko Gjonlleshaj, Marko Đelović, director of Caritas Montenegro, wished success to the National Kitchen project in Tivat.
"We are glad that we have the opportunity to expand activities in terms of support and help to categories of people in need. Here, the fifty meals that will be distributed is a significant number for Tivat as well, I believe that in cooperation with local institutions and organizations that number will expand, that is, it will follow the needs, and what we definitely want is for this initiative to be long-term and sustainable . The development of support services in the community for different target groups is very important to us. These are elderly people, people with disabilities, people with mental health problems for whom Caritas Montenegro has various types of support," said Đelović.
The mayor of Tivat, Željko Komnenović, said that the opening of the Caritas National Kitchen is a small but very significant step for that city.
"First of all, through the efforts of one man, and that man is Don Željko Pasković, the National Kitchen was established. Perhaps Tivat is a city where the National Kitchen does and does not belong. Much larger and richer cities than ours have such institutions and humanitarian initiatives like this are always initiated by philanthropy, which Don Željko has in abundance, and we hope that this initiative will reach all those people who are in a state of need, who need help. That is the whole idea of this project. The municipality of Tivat doesn't really have much space for some similar initiatives, but we gladly responded to this idea in the hope that we will help all those who need help, whom we also constantly help. With joy and open arms, we welcome Caritas and Don Željko with this initiative, so that together we can help more," Komnenović said.
He invited all the businessmen and restaurateurs of Tivat to get involved in this project, because their help is necessary, and he congratulated all believers of the Roman Catholic faith on the upcoming Easter. After the opening of the kitchen, all those present had the opportunity to try the first dishes prepared by head chef Alen Turza and his assistant Kosa Franović.
The kitchen will also give work to hard-to-employ people
Don Željko Pasković told "Vijesta" that a special cupboard for food and clothes will soon be installed in the premises of the National Kitchen in Tivat under the slogan "If you have it, leave it, if you don't have it, take it" so that those who are better off can directly help in that way. fellow citizens of weaker financial status.
He pointed out that it is the desire of Caritas of the Diocese of Kotor that, in addition to the two people who are currently employed permanently, the National Kitchen in Tivat hires more staff from the local community, primarily people with disabilities who can work or people who fall into the category of harder-to-employ people such as single mothers or women - victims of violence.
The kitchen is also open for the help of volunteers because it will work seven days a week, delivering a hot meal to users every day from 12:13.30 to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
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