April 3rd, 2025
67,575 people evacuated from danger to date
69 people evacuated from danger this week
31 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
Many of our US-based volunteers traveled for spring break last week, enjoying vacations and college visits. Throughout our journeys, we maintained contact with our friends in Ukraine. Three years ago, we hesitated to share our vacation experiences with Ukrainians who were sheltering in basements from rocket and drone attacks. Over time, we’ve all adjusted to this reality, understanding that our Ukrainian friends bear no resentment toward us — on the contrary, they find joy in hearing about our good times and adventures.
But last week, the contrast couldn't have been more stark. As if in mockery of any rose-colored hopes for imminent peace, Russia brutally bombed civilian areas in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv. Inna's team quickly established mobile stations near attack sites within Dnipro, providing food, and basic construction materials to cover shattered windows, and psychological support resources for the mentally and physically wounded.
Another volunteer boarded a train as Russian drones began exploding around the station. Her seven-year-old nephew was so terrified, he remained speechless until morning. Though he later recovered, this all too common story captures the terrible toll Russia's invasion continues to exact on innocent lives. Each of these cruel actions is deliberate and calculated, leaving those who understand what is happening with no option but resistance.
“Peace in the midst of war.”
Stories
Ukraine Action Summit
On our own, we can only do so much to help Ukraine. To increase our effectiveness, we must also advocate and educate. Next week, members of the Ukraine TrustChain US-based team will be traveling to Washington DC for the Ukraine Action Summit with the American Coalition for Ukraine. We would like to wish good luck and success to the hundreds of activists who will be meeting with members of Congress. If you plan to attend the summit, please stop by and say hello. If you are not planning to attend, we urge you to contact your Representative and remind them to support Ukraine.
The 2025 Agricultural Project Begins
This spring we are again beginning our annual agricultural project drive. We hope to help 12,000 Ukrainian families plant their gardens, providing them not only with food security at a fraction of market prices, but also with hope and a sense of accomplishment, as they pour their love and pain into work they know so well.
While the process for this project is by now well established, the list of recipients of the aid has changed since last year. Destruction of the areas around Porkovsk and Kup’yans’k has led to additional displacement of the population. We have helped newly displaced families by providing firewood earlier this year. Now will be helping many of them by providing seeds and seedlings from trusted suppliers, as well as tools and advice as needed.
Last week, Inna’s team completed the first delivery of the season, bringing seeds to the Zaporizhzhia Region, as well as to villages West of Kup’yans’k and around deoccupied Izyum and Balakliya. We will be reporting on this project further in the coming weeks.
Taking Care of Our “Metal Volunteers”
The vehicles driven by our Ukrainian teams as they deliver aid are essential components of their work and sometimes seem almost like volunteers in their own right. For example, Inna’s yellow van pops up in images sent to us by her team. In the last two years this metal hero has traveled 460,000 kilometers. But two weeks ago it broke down.
The usual limitations of nonprofit organizations make it difficult to fund wear-and-tear repairs. However, the trust of our donors and the mission of our organization, which calls for us to support volunteers in areas of their greatest need, gives Ukraine TrustChain unparalleled flexibility. We were easily able to donate a few hundred dollars to repair Inna’s vehicle. This stalwart bus is yet another testament to the sheer volume of work the volunteer teams perform, driven by pure altruism and the desire to help their people survive this unjust war.
Help in Occupied Territories
70 people received help in occupied territories.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
12 trips, evacuating 63 people from Pokrovsk, Rodyns’ke, Bilyts’ke, Shakhove, Mezhove, Druzhkivka, Lyman, and Kostyantynivka.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
21.8 tons of aid delivered to 8,150 people.
6,600 people received bread.
Trips to Kherson, 3 Donbas locations, Izyum, Balakliya, Nikopol, and Marhanets’.
Kherson operations:
Maintained and refueled 19 generators in the most dangerous neighborhoods of the city.
Exterminations in 3 spaces.
Set up mobile stations near the sites of Dnipro attacks. See story above.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): conducted 5 evacuation trips from the Sumy Region town of Krasnopillya, close to the border with Russia. Due to the new Russian offensive, families are escaping with minimal belongings. Evacuated 5 families with a total 12 people, plus their animals, sometimes under artillery fire. 4 of the evacuees are disabled and/or elderly. 2 of the families have children who were evacuated earlier.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv.
Sandra S (Odesa): the kitchen fed more than 700 people.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): took a disabled person to the hospital in the village of Hlukhivtsi (Vinnytsia Region). Delivered dishware and food to the Safe Space shelter and to the disabled and low-income population.
WeCare Centers (Lviv): delivered a total of 12,000 kg of hygiene, medical supplies, clothes, mattresses, and food to the team’s warehouse in Boryslav for further distribution to cities around Ukraine.
Serhiy A (Kharkiv): in March distributed 700 food kits (3,500 kg) to the blind population in Mykolaiv and Mykolaiv Region, Lviv and Lviv Region, Lutsk, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Kramatorsk, Dnipro, Sumy, Uman, Bar, and Pavlohrad.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): brought 4 tons of humanitarian kits, “Victory” bread, medicines, clothing, and animal feed to Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka and 2 tons of aid to Kostyantynivka. Delivered special clothing to an auto service station in Kharkiv.
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): delivered 22.05 tons of fuel briquettes to 55 families in Komyshany (Kherson Region). This was the last of the fuel deliveries for this season.
Oksana K (Lutsk): distributed 315 kg of food, hygiene products, adult diapers, children’s toys, clothing, and bed linens to 42 visitors to the team’s distribution center in Lutsk. These included internally displaced people (IDPs), wives of dead or missing soldiers, mothers with many children, and families with seriously ill members. Donated pasta to the Kivertsi community for low-income families. Received 360 kg of clothing and footwear from partners for further distribution.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to internally displaced (IDP) children and adults, children with disabilities, orphans, and military veterans – held 2 art therapy sessions for a total of 79 children with Down Syndrome, in honor of International Down Syndrome Day. Took 58 IDP children and their families to the theater and 48 IDPs and veterans to the IDP museum. Distributed bread and other food to 380 people living in IDP assistance centers, with special attention paid to 70 orphaned students from the Sumy and Kherson regions. Provided glasses for 46 adults and children. Conducted 93 medical procedures to improve the health of IDP children with disabilities from the Kherson Region. Helped 28 children with prophylactic health procedures, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and gym classes. Through partners, assisted in the manufacture of prostheses for amputees.
Kseniia’s Team – Livyy bereh (Left Bank)
One roof completed in Zaporizhzhia Region.
Darya delivered 86 aid packages to 5 frontline villages near Kup’yans’k.
6 people evacuated from Monachynivka, Stets’kivka, and Kut’kivka.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
113 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Distributed 150 aid packages in Smila to internally displaced refugees.
Natasha’s Team – Volontersʹkyy tsentr Vyshnya (Cherry Volunteer Center)
242 packages with hygienic products delivered to Lyman.
This is Natasha’s 7th trip this season — she has already supplied 1,562 households. 1,358 households remaining.
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Delivered aid packages to 234 families. Some families have many kids who have lost their parents. Their elderly grandparents are the only ones left to take care of the children.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
Aid packages delivered to Mykolaiv/Kherson region villages. 507 packages distributed.
Organized a trip for 23 children of missing Ukrainian fighters in Mykolaiv.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
14 tons of water delivered to Nikopol.
9 more trips taken last week, preparing for a large grant distribution.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobrо Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to internally displaced people in Piatyhatky.
Dina’s Team — Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
375 packages distributed in Kremenchuk, Poltava, and Kanev.
1,690 meals served in Kharkiv’s soup kitchen.
Together with Holy Generation church in Kharkiv, distributed 1,300 packages of aid to internally displaced people from the Kharkiv Region.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
42 families in Zhytomyr received food and hygiene kits.
This week at the club for children with disabilities, kids had theater arts classes (and first performance!) culinary classes where they learned to cook kebab, and psychological relief games.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Handed out bread to 280 people in Odesa.
How to Help
Donate — The money goes directly to teams providing aid on the ground, who respond dynamically to the most urgent needs.
Fundraise — Organize fundraisers at your school, work, place of worship, with friends and family, etc.
Spread the word — Share our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Bluesky Social with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering with us, and we’ll let you know when opportunities come up.
Download and print our flyer. Ask your local coffee shop if you can add it to the bulletin, or use it as part of your fundraiser.