July 18th, 2024
63,079 people evacuated from danger to date
205 people evacuated from danger this week
48 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
This week in Ukraine will be remembered for the unprecedented extreme heat that has been tormenting Ukrainians in all regions of the country. 42°C (108°F) is hard to bear even in the comfort of peaceful western cities, but in a country at war that experiences energy shortages caused by daily, vicious attacks on its energy and water infrastructure, this heat is nothing short of a national disaster.
We struggle to understand how the elderly survive in concrete high-rises without air conditioning. Water supply is also often dependent on electricity. Dairy and meat products spoil in unpowered fridges. But our teams continue their work even in these conditions, delivering water and medicine to frontline cities across Ukraine.
While it's hard to take in the current news without despair, we are continuing forward with our partners. We are planning for critical needs for this winter and even for next year. To help meet those needs we welcome all partners and fundraisers.
Next month, on August 24th there will be a Run for Ukraine fundraiser in Scranton to benefit Ukraine TrustChain. This is the third annual fundraiser that the Scranton for Ukraine group is hosting. You can run the 5K, or walk the 1K, or just donate directly. Scranton, PA, holds the distinction of being a key site for manufacturing many of the artillery shells that the US is sending to Ukraine which makes this event so much more meaningful.
Stories
Dobra Sprava Evacuations
The Dobra Sprava team has been focusing their evacuation efforts on the Toretsk area. This is a story they shared with us a couple of weeks ago.
Galina, a medical worker from the Toretsk hospital, lived with her 11-year-old son Andriy in a private house. Last week she was severely injured by an explosion. Thankfully, her colleagues quickly provided first aid and sent her to a hospital in Dnipro.
Andriy was left alone, but their elderly neighbor, Mr. Yevhen, took care of [the boy]. Then the hospital called us, asking for help. We learned that Mr. Yevhen wanted to take Andriy to his ex-wife in Odesa, but couldn't drive due to health issues.
So, while evacuating people, we also fixed up Mr. Yevhen’s old shot-up car and prepared it for the journey. Sasha drove the evacuees in a minibus, while Slava took Mr. Yevhen, Andriy, and a small black dog to Dnipro, where they stayed in a shelter overnight.
The next morning, [Andriy and Mr. Yevhen] visited the hospital where Galina is in a coma. Andriy silently watched his mother and then began to cry. Mr. Yevhen gently led him out. The doctors said Galina's condition is critical.
Slava comforted Andriy as much as possible, and they set off for Odesa, taking along Slava's 12-year-old son Dmytro to keep Andriy company. After a couple of hours, Andriy started to open up and interact with Dmytro. By the time they reached Odesa, the boys were talking. Mr. Yevhen was relieved, as he had been worried that after seeing his mother Andriy would withdraw into himself completely.
Serhiy Distributes Food Aid to the Blind
Serhiy A in Kharkiv (part of Oleksandr D’s volunteer network), delivered 250 packages of basic food staples to blind and visually impaired people. Each package weighs about 6 kilos and contains oil, cereals, canned food, and flour. Serhiy writes about what these aid packages mean to the people he serves:
Thank you for such a great thing that you are doing for people in Ukraine. The average pension [these visually impaired people receive] is $100, but food prices are on par with Europe, and they also have to buy medicine. The young man who was handing out packages near the bus [in the photo] almost lost his sight seven years ago. His pension is 2,800 hryvnias ($70) per month, and he has diabetes and other diseases. These people are very happy when they receive help.
Profiling Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina (Free People – Free Country)
We have written about Dina’s team before, but we continue to marvel at the smoothness of their operations, despite the challenges of the war. The team primarily helps internally displaced people (IDPs) by providing them with food, hygiene products, donated clothing, toys, dishes, bedding, pet food, and other supplies. Their distribution centers, in operation since 2022, serve 1,400 families in Kremenchuk, 1,000 in Poltava, 440 in Kanev, 400 in Krasnokutsk, and 450 in Dnipro.
In preparation for the coming winter, with its almost certain power outages, and a very uncertain progression of the war, we are trying to minimize spending to ensure that we can sustain our teams through the spring. Dina’s team is prioritizing serving the most vulnerable categories of displaced families, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, single mothers, large families, pregnant women, low-income families, families of fallen defenders, and those whose homes have been destroyed.
Amicus Delivery
The Amicus Ukraine team has returned from another trip to Lithuania for vehicles and humanitarian aid. The team brought back an RAV4 and a Volkswagen minibus. The vehicles were filled with donated medical aid, which they promptly delivered to the hard-hit Kherson region.
Aid in Occupied Territories
5 people were evacuated from the Russian-occupied left bank. 200 packages were distributed in 4 occupied towns.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra Sprava
19 trips, evacuating 197 people from areas around Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Lyman, Mykolaiv, and Kostiantynivka.
Inna’s Team – Krok z Nadiyeyu
20.65 tons distributed to 8,050 people.
9,500 people received bread.
Kherson Efforts:
Disinfected 5 large spaces.
Performed exterminations in 17 buildings.
Completed 15 generator maintenance tasks.
Organized events for children living in Kherson.
100 packages delivered to Shlyakhove near Beryslav.
Delivered aid to high-risk zones: Tolstoye, Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Dobropillya, Nikopol.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 14 tons of water to Kherson.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 800 people. The kitchen was not open for one day this week due to excessive heat.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): fed 20 people and took berries, oil, pies and 200 kg of clothes to the “Harmony” association of disabled people and to people undergoing rehabilitation.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): completed several projects in the Donetsk and Kherkiv Regions.
Delivered 2.5 tons of clothes, medicine, aid packages and animal feed to Chasiv Yar. Once again the team was spotted by a drone and came under fire.
Began drilling a well in the village of Berestok, in the Kramatorsk District. To date, 120 meters have been drilled, but no water has been found yet. But there will be water!
Brought 2 tons of aid to Kostiantynivka.
Delivered 5,000 1.5 liter bottles of drinking water near Kharkiv.
Serhiy A (Kharkiv): Serhiy, who serves the blind population, delivered 250 food packages (about 1.5 tons) to Pavlohrad, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih (all in Dnipropetrovsk Region), Mykolaiv, Odessa, Uman (Cherkasy Region), and Vinnytsia.
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): Oleksandr’s volunteer Vadym T brought 900 kg of power bars and muesli from Germany. These have been distributed to evangelical churches in Volodymyr and Liuboml (Volyn Region), which are currently conducting summer camps in Volyn for blind, disabled, and internally displaced (IDP) children and youth. After the trip Vadym went into treatment for psychological issues from one year of fighting in the war.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions for children and families:
Offered art therapy to 137 IDP children, children from military families and from large families (total of 4 art therapy sessions held).
Took 40 IDP and disabled children to the theater and to the movies.
Conducted leisure activities for 38 IDP children and children from military families.
Distributed freshly baked bread and other food to 234 IDPs at assistance centers and gave out clothing and shoes to 47 IDPs.
Kseniia’s Team — NGO Livyj Bereh
Kharkiv team distributed 66 packages in Kutkivka and Kasianivka.
Evacuated 2 people from Kutkivka.
Kherson team distributed 181 packages in Ulyanivka and Kherson.
Last week we did not report 115 packages distributed in Kherson and Oleksandrivka.
Karina’s Team — We Save Dnipro
109 people in the shelter.
Amicus Ukraine
2 vehicles brought to Ukraine .
Medical aid delivered to Kherson.
Tetiana’s Team — Dopomoha Poruch
Delivered 150 aid packages and various other supplies to Starovirivka, Kharkiv Region.
Timur’s Team — Timur and Team
Distributed aid to 355 people in Saltivka including 15 disabled elderly and 10 families with babies.
Delivered aid packages to 167 people in hard-hit Sloviansk, Donetsk Region.
Delivered aid to 24 people in Bohorodychne.
Pavel and Olena’s Team — Touch of Heart and Dawn of Hope
1547 people received help through the Mykolaiv office.
210 families received aid in Luch and Myrne.
1.5 tons of water delivered to Novopavlivske.
Pomahaem Foundation
2 trips to Hnarovske, near Zaporizhzhia.
13 targeted aid packages delivered to Novomoskovsk.
10.5 tons of water delivered to Nikopol.
Marina’s Team – Give Good Ukraine
150 packages Distributed in Zhovti Vody.
Marina's organization celebrated its birthday this week — five years of continuous volunteer activity.
Dina’s Team — Vilni Liudy — Vilna Krayina
Distributed 360 packages in Krasnokutsk, Kanev, Poltava, Dnipro, and Kremenchuk.
Mailed 69 packages to people in small towns.
Bogdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami
43 families received food and hygiene kits in Zhytomyr.
Club for children with disabilities was on break this week — will resume activities next week.
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.