As a child, Mykyta Dunaiev dreamed of being a chef. After three years studying cooking and baking at a culinary school in Fastiv, Ukraine, no one wanted to hire him.
Mr. Dunaiev has Down syndrome.
He was well known to members of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Fastiv, so parishioners decided to open an inclusive bakery, where Mr. Dunaiev would be the featured pastry chef, and Korzhyk Bakery was born.
The bakery is part of a nationwide program, led by Caritas Ukraine, to teach and support parishes that want to develop social ministries in their communities.
Mr. Dunaiev “brings goodness to the people who come here,” says Father Witalij Martyniuk, pastor of St. Demetrius.
Now the young chef makes cakes, pastries, cookies, éclairs and other desserts at the parish-run bakery, and teaches young children how to bake as well.
Learn about Korzhyk Bakery and Mr. Dunaiev’s work in this video. Read more about the social ministry of parishes in Ukraine in “Beacons of Hope” in the September 2025 issue of ONE magazine.