April 25
28,274 evacuations to date
(2,255 evacuations this week)
50,000+ people fed weekly
$90,500 funding deployed this week to Ukraine
Ukraine Teams Milestones
Pavel evacuated 1,883 people this week; his team has been focusing on aid deliveries into bombardment zones to sustain civilians staying under fire, while evacuating those willing to leave.
Natalia traveled to Warsaw to source items in short supply in Kyiv. There, she received a warm welcome from our gracious and kind friends in Poland. In addition to loading her bus with aid items, they surprised her with a traditional Easter gift of paska and Easter eggs.
With Natalia remote, her team continues to supply aid to the suburbs and villages of the Kyiv region (Horenka, Borodyanka, Bucha, Moschchun, Dmytrivka and many others), and to forward aid to Chernihiv, Kryvyy Rih, Sumy, and other areas of need.
After helping to deliver five ambulances to Chernihiv last week, we are continuing our work to support public health and medical facilities in Ukraine. This week, Ukraine TrustChain made a substantial contribution to purchase surgical equipment for a major Kyiv hospital.
Andriy evacuated 291 people this week; in addition to evacuations, as a Ukrainian archpriest, Andriy continued his campaign against the pro-war position of the Moscow patriarchate. This complex and fascinating story has been covered by the NYT and Washington Post.
As of yesterday, Karina’s evacuation center was housing 170 refugees. She sources food, bedding, towels, and other necessities to ensure people are comfortable. Karina continues her efforts to care for and engage children at the center by providing activities like exercising, crafting, Easter egg dyeing, and dancing.
Through Dina’s network, we have started deploying aid to refugees evacuated to Kaniv.
US Teams Update
This week, Ukraine TrustChain deployed $90,500 to teams on the ground; this sum includes surgery equipment delivered to a Kyiv hospital. We are able to raise and deploy this amount thanks to your donations, large and small. Please continue to encourage your friends to share so that we can continue to support Ukrainians living in danger and destruction.
Many of you have organized fundraisers and events in support of Ukraine TrustChain’s efforts. Please check out our fundraiser page for more information on upcoming events and for ideas to host your own fundraiser for Ukraine TrustChain.
Anna Abramzon’s piece “Chicago to Mariupol” about Ukraine TrustChain in Times of Israel offers a deeper look into our US team’s operations and experiences. Please also check out The Denver Post’s article featuring two of our team members from Boulder: “How Coloradans Are Helping Get Vital Aid to Ukraine - and Planning Longer-Term Support.” Please let us know if you have press contacts.
Easter during War
This weekend marked the first major holiday that Ukrainians have celebrated during war. April 24th is the Orthodox Easter holiday – a day of resurrection, redemption, and personal sacrifice. The holiday held extra meaning for our volunteers in Ukraine this year. Even though they are exhausted and depleted themselves, our volunteers and their teams prepared for this holiday by making sure to bring extra to people in the hardest hit regions and those living in evacuation centers.
Dina’s volunteers baked and delivered traditional Easter cakes (paska bread) along with medicine to civilians in Kharkiv where shelling has intensified yet more. Karina’s team brought chocolate bunnies in gold wrappers and paska bread to all of the children in her evacuation center. Natasha prepared for weeks for this occasion to ensure that she could bring some light and joy to the people of Ukraine.
Andriy shared that this is an “unusual Easter.” He misses his family, along with all of the normal ways that Easter is traditionally celebrated. And yet this Easter holiday offered the chance for the country to come together in unity and tradition; to resist violence and dehumanization through love and community; and to hold one another up through the promise of renewal and peace.
We are hosting a Zoom call next week, Tuesday, 5/3, at 6pm central, where we can connect, exchange ideas about how to expand our fundraising efforts, and grow a sense of community around our mission. Please click here to register in advance.
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, or LinkedIn 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.
