Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog inaugurated a 34-bed youth hostel in the northern Hungarian village of Kömlőd on Tuesday. The hostel was built in the loft of the Calvinist church dormitory. During the religious service preceding the inauguration, Mr. Balog – a Calvinist pastor himself – said that young people need communities, adding that Hungarians belong to the community of all Hungarians living within the Carpathian basin while in religious communities the accent is on the community.

Government Commissioner Judit Bertalan said that the youth hostel had received 41 million forints (EUR 133,000) for a modern heating system and solar panels and a charity supporting disabled people had received a minivan to facilitate the movement of disabled people in the region. Local Calvinist pastor István Bogáth said that the youth hostel was initiated by a charity group of parents with disabled children who applied for the government grant and received 16 million forints (EUR 52,000). The hostel will operate from May to October and its main goal is to accommodate disabled children from sister institutions. All furnishing were donated by German charities.

In the past eight years the Kömlőd Calvinist parish has received 260 million forints (EUR 846,000) in the form of various government grants, with which they built several buildings for the benefit of disabled children.

(Ministry of Human Resources)