March 7, 2024
59,891 people evacuated from danger to date
178 people evacuated from danger this week
41 trips into the deoccupied and frontline territories this week
It’s been two years since the founding of Ukraine TrustChain. Two years ago we sent our first dollar to Ukrainian volunteers a few days before forming an official charity. The people we met in that fateful week are still volunteering. What began with helping two babies in a Kyiv hospital and evacuating an orphanage from Kherson grew into a powerful network of selfless heroes supporting hundreds of thousands of citizens in Ukraine on a monthly basis.
Much of Ukraine’s future depends on the actions of Western governments. But UTC does not have time to ponder the future or process our transformation. Our firewood delivery project was completed last week, and we are already working with Ukrainian volunteers to assist thousands of villagers in the upcoming planting season.
Stories
Firewood Successfully Delivered to Beryslav
Firewood was finally delivered to Beryslav. For weeks volunteers selected and looked for drivers willing and capable of accomplishing this potentially lethal task. Constant drone surveillance and strikes make this part of Dnipro’s right bank one of the most dangerous regions for aid deliveries. Fortunately the team lucked out and the delivery went almost smoothly this time. Here is what they had to say:
“We did not manage to complete the delivery within the planned time window. Our convoy had 4 cars, which included 3 trucks. Each truck volunteers brought to their destination points. We reached the final and most dangerous point when the sun was already touching the horizon. Right before the entrance only a few kilometers away from the unloading point, the truck's tire blew out and it stopped in plain sight, as though it was at the execution site. Thank god everything went well!
Story from Dobra Sprava team
Last week Dobra Sprava evacuated the family of Tetyana from the village Selydove. The team also took along the family’s three cats, four dogs, and an old guitar. One might say that it is almost exorbitant to accommodate such complex evacuations. We disagree. We are proud that even after two years of the exhausting work, helping victims of Russian invasions, our volunteers retain the compassion and the drive that allows them to do whatever it takes, if it means saving another life. Tetyana shared her pain with the volunteer driver on their way to Dnipro:
"We thought about evacuation last year. The city was being shelled and people were getting killed. But we couldn't bring ourselves to evacuate… Then our grandson got very scared, and we decided to go, but nobody wanted to take us. Some were afraid; some didn't want to take us with our animals. We made the decision to leave — but there was no way. Leaving on our own would mean abandoning our cats and four dogs... then what? How could I later look into my grandson's eyes? He wouldn't understand... probably won't forgive."
Vanya, our young volunteer, listened to Tetyana and validated her feelings. Tetyana's family sincerely thanked the team and Ukraine TrustChain for being able to evacuate them.
Evacuations from Occupied Territories
15 people were evacuated this week from the Russian-occupied left bank. As usual all of the patients are elderly or have disabilities -- often severe. None of them want to leave until a crisis makes life unbearable. Most make it to safety through the devoted care of the volunteers and support from their fellow travelers. But some don't.
This time we have another very sad story of an 83 year old woman who refused to leave despite begging by her daughter-in-law, even though her son had been killed outside her house. She had also been taking care of two dogs that she refused to abandon. She finally resolved to evacuate after taking a fall, but on the first night of travel she died of unknown causes. The dog she traveled with will be adopted.
325 people received help packages in the occupied territories.
A Well in Siversk
Last week, Vitaliy and his Kharkiv team finished drilling a well in Siversk, which is constantly under attack by Russian drones. Now residents will be less dependent on imported water, which will also reduce risk to the volunteers delivering to this very dangerous area. As soon as the well was operational, people immediately began to wash clothes and bed linens, which they had not been able to do for months, if not years, due to the lack of water. Next, Vitaliy plans to bring several washing machines to make this process easier and safer.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra Sprava (“Good Cause”)
17 trips and 163 people evacuated from Kostyantynivka, Selydove, Pokrovsk, Novohrodivka, Kurakhove, Myrnohrad, Lyman, Druzhkivka, Mykolaiv, and Kherson areas.
Inna’s Team – Krok z Nadiyeyu (“Step with Hope”)
Distributed 21.5 tons of aid to 7,950 people.
Bread was distributed to 9,500 people.
70 families received firewood in remote high-risk areas of Kharkiv region. 140 tons total.
150 tons were delivered to Beryslav, Myhailivka, and Novi Kairy.
Work in Kherson:
Performed exterminations in 9 buildings and dehumidified 2;
Disinfected one building;
Performed 32 equipment repair and maintenance tasks;
Aid delivered to Kramatorsk, Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka, 40 people received glasses.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): delivered 2,800 kg of aid to the Sumy Region locations of Mykhailivs'ke, Mykhailivka, Lisne, Bilopillia, Novoivanivka, Iskryskivshchyna, and Obody. Also tried to deliver aid to Pavlivka, but couldn’t because of the heavy shelling.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons of water, plus 2.5 tons of groceries and other humanitarian aid to Kherson.
Andriy P (Mykolaiv): brought 4 vehicles from Germany, including a refrigerator van, a minibus for evacuations, a pickup truck and a tow truck. The vehicles were filled with 3 tons of humanitarian aid, including car parts for emergency vehicles, strong painkillers and other life-saving medications, a refrigerator and a wheelchair. Andryi’s volunteer Mykhailo also delivered 22 tons of humanitarian aid from Chernivtsi to Mykolaiv for further distribution to de-occupied territories.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 2,200 people.
Artiom S (Hostomel): delivered grocery sets and other food aid to all 60 residents of Bilozerka in the Kherson Region.
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): delivered 182 tons of fuel briquettes to 606 households in Siversk (Donetsk Region) and the Siversk area villages of Dronivka, Platonivka and Riznykivka. Helped one internally displaced person (IDP) in Lutsk with medicine. Brought food to a shelter for evacuated animals in Kivertsi (Volyn Region) and arranged for a school in Lutsk to supply the shelter with leftover food in the future.
Vitaliy D (Kharkiv): finished drilling a well in Siversk. Delivered 3 tons of medicine and clothing to Siversk and 3 tons of the same to New York (both in Donetsk Region).
Oksana K (Lutsk): brought 100 kg of aid for bedridden patients to Torchyn hospital (Volyn Region); sent sleeping bags and a refrigerator to Kupiansk; gave 30 kg of assistance to a low-income family; received four refrigerators and sweets from Poland; brought a refrigerator and distributed backpacks, clothes, chocolates and individual gifts to 46 children at the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): held 4 art therapy sessions for 70 children with disabilities, IDP children, children from large families and from military families. An additional 163 children were helped with clothes, shoes, food, wheelchairs, crutches, visits to the museum and to exhibits.
Angelia Mobile Clinic
12/20/23, 1/9-10/24, 1/15/24, 1/17/24, 1/22/24: Traveled to Tarasivka (Kyiv Region), Pryluky (Chernihiv Region), Bucha (Kyiv Region), Hlevakha (Kyiv Region) and Hostomel (Kyiv Region). Clinic included ECG, urologists, family doctors, and tests for blood, urine, sugar, TSH and hemoglobin. A total of 601 patients received 1,503 medical services.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh (“Left Bank”)
4 roofs restored in Slatyne near Kharkiv.
Darya delivered another 170 packages to four frontline villages near Kupyansk.
2 of the civilians who received aid were killed by Russian air bombardment.
135 packages delivered to Oleksandrivka and Kherson.
Karina’s Team - My ryatuyemo Ukrainu Dnipro (“We Save Ukraine Dnipro”)
Provided humanitarian aid to 15 elderly families and 20 internally displaced families in Dnipro.
Sent diapers and treats to a children’s organization in Kharkiv helping 20 kids.
58 people living in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch (“Help is Near”)
Distributed 350 aid packages in Odnorobivka, Kharkiv region.
Timur’s Team – Timur i ego komanda (“Timur and Team”)
The team delivered aid to 76 people in Kupyansk. The city has been under increased bombardement lately. Two Russian rockets scored a direct hit on civilian areas destroying 30 homes and a church.
Distributed 300 aid packages in Saltivka, Kharkiv.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams - (“Touch of Heart” and “Dawn of Hope”)
1,737 people received aid through the Mykolaiv office.
Delivered 1.5 tons of water to Novopavlivske.
70 families received seeds in Novopavlivske and 80 in Kobzartsi.
Kirill, Marina, Andriy - BF Pomahaem (“We Help”)
136 packages delivered to Dobropillya on the Southern frontline.
118 packages were delivered to Shevchenkove near Kupyansk.
77 packages delivered to Nikopol.
700 packages were delivered to Zaporizhzhya.
Marina’s Team – Good Give Ukraine
150 elderly people who suffered from war received food packages in Piatykhatky.
Dina’s Team -- Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina (“Free People - Free Country”)
Distributed 1,005 packages of aid, mailed 100 more.
Helped an orphanage in Kharkiv (14 children who have lost their parents in the war) with toys and clothes.
Anna - Independent Nation
Organized delivery of water in the Mykolaiv region for the villages Nova Zorya and Tavriyske. Delivered 168 tons of water.
Bogdan’s Team - Vse robymo sami (“Doing everything ourselves”)
Aid distributed to 42 families in Zhitomyr.
Young participants in art class crafted bracelets for their mothers and engaged in weekly sessions of psychological relief games.
The Children's public organization "We do everything ourselves" installed a stretch ceiling in the Inclusive Children's Center "House of Joy."
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.
