INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL CARE 

FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS

30th anniversary celebrations started Thursday, October 21st at 4:00PM. The director of the institute is my friend PhDr. Jan Skott. For me it was very emotional as I was quietly thanking the God for the lives and good health of my wife and our children Julia and Mathew and my own. Jan Skott greeted every body and thank them for their attendance at this great day and the performance started by Jurko Strmiska playing harmonica and my friend Drahos Dalos playing the whistle. 

Then their folk ensemble Javorcek together with folk ensemble Lipa had a short and very emotional performance. At 5:00 PM Pavol Selecky the conductor of the Bratislava's Slovak National Theater started to play on the piano accompanied by by Robert Gaspar on the violin. Robert Gaspar is a deputy concert master at the Slovak National Theater. What a performance they put on playing Ave Maria by Charles Gounod, Meditation by Massenet Jules Emile, Waltz from Disney film Snow white and seven dwarfs by Frank Churchil, On the Blue Danube by Johann Strauss. Then to the tunes played by Mrs. Duna Gaspar the Formal Dance club danced Waltz and the dancers invited parents to dance with them and what followed was unbelievable. Real formal dancing. 

The formal dancing was later replaced by disco and we all danced till late that night. 
There was a raffle as well, with 40 prices. The cancellation price was given by the director to all that had no luck and it was roasted suckling pig.

I can't describe my emotions throughout the evening and I was really happy that I was here. To see the smiling and happy faces of the clients of the institute and everybody was so exited to be there. What I noticed also was the abundance of clay works decorating the walls throughout the institute and the work was fantastic as you can see from the pictures. I also met my long time lost friend, who I haven't seen since 1987, PhDr. Vierka Andreanska who also works part time at the institute as a psychologist, who was really surprised to see me from all the people here. Unbelievable she said, she didn't expect to see me here at all. Well, Vladimir does show up many times unexpectedly at many different and unbelievable locations in Slovakia. One of the greatest current Slovak poets Milan Rufus, whose daughter is also client of the institute, send his greetings and said that: The work with these children is not a job, it is apostolate and that is a mission:

My God, your face is secretly whispering to me,

that to live as a renter at angel's place is a gift,

forgive us the forbidden, mostly it was body,

body will remain. Where it will sprout with hurt,

it will sound, the unknown, it is trying, 

from all our body what hurts most is our soul,

give us the smarts to be and take the secret

and to have some with what to pay the high rent.

Jan Skott said that he is cheering to health of the great poet Milan Rufus, who is respected by the Slovak nation and the cultural world. He cheered to his health, because he understood the meaning of existence of these children, that in humbleness he accepted this call and gift. In Milan Rufus he cheered to health of all parents of these children, who as he understand that there is nothing more than human love. He cheered to health of those that daily unnoticed, but more heroically live and work with these children and as they do not want any material rewards. But more, if they realize it or not, they are from day to day richer in their soul and spirit. I cheer to all those that are making their efforts easier and in different ways are helping them to fulfill their human mission and that is why I am cheering all the people present here. It was truly emotional end to this great day celebrating the 30th anniversary of the institute.

Their bank: NBS 35-25827-012/0720

Domov socialnych sluzieb pre deti a dospelych
Javorinska 7a
811 030 Bratislava
Slovakia

GO BACK TO SOCIAL CARE

Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 7, No. 4, Winter 1999
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1999 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.