‘Healthy Baskets’ Boost Community Health During COVID-19 in Slovenia

By: Katja Kotnik, Trans-European Division, and Adventist Review

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is active in the Balkan nation of Slovenia, offering training to volunteers and practical help to the elderly and health-care workers.

Slovenia issued a state of emergency due to COVID-19 on March 12, 2020. Right away, ADRA Slovenia connected with regional civil protection units, municipalities, and local communities across the country.

Responding to a primary need, ADRA offered training to local community leaders on how to handle volunteers and how to communicate during the crisis. They also shared practical medical training on the proper handling of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

ADRA also designed and printed flyers for local leaders. These included public access contact numbers with the types of help on offer, including psychological services for people in distress. The leaflet also provided information about COVID-19 and answers to three main questions: “Why #StayAtHome?” “Why #DisinfectHands?”and “Why #AskForHelp?”

One of the local community leaders named Tanja sent a message of appreciation to ADRA Slovenia, saying, “Thank you so much for helping us get started. Our residents really appreciate us offering them support.”

ADRA Slovenia recognized the need to support both health-care workers and elderly residents in residential homes. This resulted in a project called “Healthy Baskets,” in which they offered fruit, natural juices, and vitamin C supplements to help boost the immune system.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Slovenia provided substantial financial support for this response, church leaders reported.

“Health-care workers are over-stressed, away from their families, and risking their lives to save others,” church leaders said. “ADRA staff and volunteers are responding to this specific need.” At the same time, they explained, residential care homes are under quarantine, so the elderly residents are isolated, and their families cannot care for them as usual.

The Adventist Church has many Adventist health-care workers in Slovenia, and ADRA leaders said they will continue to partner with them to assess needs during the current pandemic.

“With many donations from the Adventist Church and the wider community, ADRA Slovenia’s goal is to make nights easier and days nicer for many of those afflicted by the coronavirus outbreak,” they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Trans-European Division news site.