One of the winners of this year’s competition “They are Heroes” is Katarina Deninger form Starčevo, founder of the association “Mother with three children”. The competition is being held for the third year in a row, and with this year’s 172 applications and more than 150,000 votes from 38 cities, the citizens of Serbia have shown that there is a large number of heroes and heroines in our society, who are recognized as examples of courage and sacrifice.
Katarina, herself a mother of three children, is known in Pančevo and the surrounding area for the humanitarian actions she initiated or participated in, aimed at supporting large families. She also actively helps mothers who are victims of violence, and thanks to her efforts, many have managed to stay with their children and not lose a roof over their heads. Katarina and her co-workers initially founded a Facebook group for the support of large families, and then the association was created. They were heard about because of their petition demanding allowances for the third and fourth child - they managed to collect 100,000 signatures and after that the Law on Population was adopted, which provides for some kind of assistance for families with three and four children.
Those whom she helped the most nominated her for the competition “They are Heroes”.
Last week, Katarina was additionally upgraded in her local community, by being recognized as an Honorary Citizen of Starčevo. This recognition is awarded every year by the local community of Starčevo to fellow citizens who have helped others or contributed to their community in some way.
On the occasion, the Divac Foundation donated packages of school supplies for 20 families to the association led by Katarina and thus joined their action “Give the smile”.
“I came up with the idea that through the association and the Facebook page, we could also organize actions to exchange clothing, baby equipment, which is quite expensive, shoes and everything that is a surplus to us and can help someone. The story spread, so we started collecting food, household chemicals and cosmetics for families who are on the edge of existence. We exchanged textbooks which is quite a relief for the budget, especially when there are many children in the house, and the curriculum and the books themselves change every year. Our goal was to create one big family where everyone takes care of each other and helps each other. Cooperation with other organizations and participation in various events began,” says Katarina.
The initiative “They are Heroes” was launched in 2020 by the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, with the aim of recognizing and rewarding individuals who, through their good deeds, were examples of philanthropy and solidarity. Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, also implemented this year’s competition for the selection of and promotion of heroes.