April 4, 2024
60,508 people evacuated from danger to date
155 people evacuated from danger this week
37 trips into the deoccupied and frontline territories this week
We are excited to announce that an anonymous Chicago foundation is once again sponsoring a match drive! All your donations made this spring will be matched, and we especially would love to extend this opportunity to any new donors who have not yet had a chance to support volunteer teams in Ukraine with a donation to Ukraine TrustChain. Please share this newsletter with your network.
Stories
Ukraine Preparing for Battle
The majority of teams we support continue to travel to frontline zones, collectively covering most of the frontline. Thanks to their efforts people stuck in these zones continue to be supplied with essential aid, while the government focuses on defense. Everywhere our volunteers see signs of military preparations. Some villagers watch as fortifications are being built “behind” their village, which means they will need to flee if the enemy approaches. Although we’ve gotten used to this heroism, we continue to be in awe of the bravery of our teams who have the resolve to travel to Chasiv Yar, Beryslav, Kupyansk, and other locations, sustaining Ukrainians remaining in these dangerous territories.
Anastasia’s Trip
Anastasia and her team, LoveUA, traveled to 4 small towns near Chasiv Yar, which we cannot name for security reasons. In three of these towns, the team had to deliver aid to individual residences, as the very few residents who remain there are elderly, and it is difficult for them to leave their homes. One of the men the team met was recovering alone from a stroke and had lost his ability to speak. He could only point to where he wanted the volunteers to place his aid package.
The towns have no running water or gas; the electricity goes in and out; there is unreliable cell signal. Despite not being officially allowed, some residents in the area are trying to plow the fields and sow crops. The team even spotted a tractor. However, the fields are heavily mined and there is constant shelling, so this is an incredibly risky endeavor.
Occupied Territories
320 packages were distributed in the occupied zones and 2 people were evacuated from the Russian-occupied left bank. Unfortunately, not all who tried were able to leave the occupied territories this week. Our volunteer reports on a worrisome situation involving a 3-person family. The mother suffers from serious diabetes complications requiring medical attention not available in her occupied city. This family was evacuated, but the son was turned away at the checkpoint to Russia because of his Ukrainian passport. The family refused to be separated and all went back to their original location.
Alena’s Trip
Alena and her team traveled to 3 towns in the Mykolaiv region. The first one is Pavlo-Mar'yanivka, where the team distributed 135 food packages, 60 children's sweets sets, milk, and diapers. The villagers here are really suffering. Everything around is mined; all the homes were destroyed by the flooding after the Kakhovka dam explosion; the roof of the water tower was destroyed and now everything gets into the water: snow, rain, and dirt, making the water unusable.
The second stop was the village of Urozhaine near Beryslav where the team brought fuel for generators, 100 canisters of 10 liters each. And finally, the most dangerous village is Tomaryne. There, the team worked very quickly because of drones and hailstorms. In total 227 households in the last two villages received household hygiene products.
Agricultural Project Update
With the spring coming this year much sooner than in previous years, many families are ready to work in their fields. Inna’s team is working around the clock to pack and prepare seed packages for distribution ahead of schedule.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra Sprava (“Good Cause”)
153 people evacuated during 16 trips to Selydove, Hrodivka, Kurakhove, Novohrodivka, Lyman, Mykolaiv, Slovyansk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Kherson.
Inna’s Team – Krok z Nadiyeyu (“Step with Hope”)
8,350 helped at more than 40 towns across Ukraine.
22.6 tons of aid delivered.
Bread distributed to 9,500 people.
Work in Kherson:
Performed disinfection of a large food production facility;
Exterminations in 16 buildings, including 3 large basement spaces and a shelter;
Team continues to conduct weekly events for children remaining in Kherson.
Delivered 2.5 tons of aid to Beryslav and Soffiivka hospitals.
As in previous weeks, the team distributed aid in Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Balakliya, and Nikopol - all high risk frontline zones.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): delivered 2,200 kg of food products and clothes to 253 families in the Mykolaiv Region villages of Prybuzke and Chervone.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons to Kherson.
Andryi P (Mykolaiv): Andryi’s volunteer Mykhailo delivered 20 tons of food products, bottled water, medicines, medical equipment, orthopedic beds, wheelchairs, clothes, shoes, children’s toys and books from Chernivtsi to Zaporizhzhia.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 1,000 people, including disabled internally displaced people (IDPs) and 20 IDPs from the Kherson region who are staying at the train station.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): brought 700 kg of clothes to the rehabilitation center in Vinnytsia.
Yaroslav O (Chernivtsi): brought 500 kg of boxes with baby supplies, as well as toys and clothing for children and adults from Poland to Chernivtsi. These will be further transferred via Andryi P to southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): managed to get into Chasiv Yar (Donetsk Region) which is closed to both volunteers and the press due to heavy shelling. Delivered a total of 2.5 tons of food kits, medicine and clothing at 2 locations – the Chasiv Yar school, which is under constant attack and an invincibility point in the city center. Checked on previously drilled well, washing machine and water storage tanks, all in good order.
Oksana K (Lutsk): brought 1200 kg of humanitarian aid and a car from Zamość (Poland).
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): held 3 art therapy sessions for 41 IDP children, children with disabilities and children from military families. 178 children received food aid and sunglasses, attended a museum and participated in outdoor survival skills activities.
NGO Angelia
The clinic traveled to the "City of Dreams," a 48-house development in the village of Lyubimivka (Kyiv Region) for 150 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions. The clinic included family doctors, ENT, ECG, psychologists and lab equipment for blood, urine, sugar and TSH analysis. A total of 106 patients received 256 medical services.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh (“Left Bank”)
2 more houses were completed last week in Slatyne.
Darya’s group in Kharkiv focused on covering up blown out windows and replacing doors after previous week’s attacks. We were unable to confirm the exact number of families helped.
Karina’s Team - My ryatuyemo Ukrainu Dnipro (“We Save Ukraine Dnipro”)
54 people staying in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch (“Help is Near”)
Distributed 120 aid packages in the village of Ternivka, Cherkasy region.
Timur’s Team – Timur i ego komanda (“Timur and Team”)
The team delivered 100 aid packages to Kupyansk and another hundred to a frontline town.
Distributed 100 packages in Saltivka amid rolling blackouts caused by Russian missile strikes.
Around 100 special deliveries to children and 20 to elderly with disabilities.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams - (“Touch of Heart” and “Dawn of Hope”)
1,805 people received help through the Mykolaiv location.
Delivered seed packages to 170 people in Afanasiivka and 70 to Myrne.
1.5 tons of water delivered to Novopavlivske.
Kirill, Marina, Andriy - BF Pomahaem (“We Help”)
3,000 packages provided by World Vision were delivered to Zaporizhzhia over the course of 4 trips.
3 trips vetting recipients of German aid.
10 tons of water delivered to Marhanets’.
Natalia’s Team - Vyshnia Volunteer Center
Delivered 60 kids' packages to 210 families in Lyubymivka, Kherson region.
Distributed 180 pairs of socks, which happened to be in very high demand.
Marina’s Team – Good Give Ukraine
150 elderly people in Zhovti Vody received aid.
1,100 pounds of dog food were distributed in the Dnipro region.
Dina’s Team -- Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina (“Free People - Free Country”)
380 packages distributed at usual centers.
Sergey T delivered 600 packages (almost 8 tons) to five towns near Izyum and Kupyansk.
Bogdan’s Team - Vse robymo sami (“Doing everything ourselves”)
Aid provided to 42 families in Zhytomyr.
It was a busy week at the children's center. Children with disabilities had art classes during which they built and painted a big cardboard train as well as participated in psychological relief classes and a weekly cooking class. Kids attended a concert and had a chance to ride horses at the local riding club.
Alena’s Team – Virgo Volunteer
Delivered 227 packages to Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
Anastasia’s Team - LoveUA
Delivered 194 packages of aid to 4 towns near Chasiv Yar.
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