May 4, 2023
50,769 people evacuated from danger to date
240 people evacuated from danger this week
We gather, in good times and bad, planned and sudden. From Philadelphia and Chicago to Washington, D.C., and from Smila and Dnipro to Uman, Ukraine.
In the US, representatives of Ukraine TrustChain joined hundreds of others from all over the country to attend the Ukraine Action Summit in D.C. We met with members of congress to advocate for additional support for Ukraine and to share stories from our teams. We also explored avenues for cooperation and collaboration with other nonprofits working to help Ukraine. While many congress representatives and senators have been supportive of Ukraine, for others it was helpful to be reminded of what happens every day in areas occupied by Russia and in those that were recently liberated.
It did not take long to receive another reminder of Russia’s heinous actions with a new series of missile strikes on Ukraine. Of dozens of missiles, one hit a large apartment block in Uman, a town far from the front line or any military infrastructure. The strike killed 25 people, including 6 children, and injured dozens.
Tetiana from Smila, the closest team to Uman, woke up early to the news of the attack. The team loaded the van with what they had for upcoming distributions and quickly headed to Uman. Tetiana and her team of volunteers provided food for first responders and bombing victims. Karina from Dnipro also went directly to Uman, and both teams collaborated to provide much-needed supplies. They were joined by several members of Dina's team who brought more aid to Uman the next day. With UTC's unique model, we are able to quickly direct aid and resources where they are needed most.
Ukraine Team Milestones
Ihor Dobra Sprava (“Good Cause”)
Evacuated 217 people over the course of 16 trips
Natasha - Vysnia Volunteer Center
Tetiana Pasenko, who heads the Krivyj Rih branch of the team, takes part in our agrarian project aiming to help 15,000 families plant their gardens this year. Last week, after an unusually rainy spring, the weather was right for Kherson area residents to start planting potatoes and onions. We got the first pictures from the village of Kniazivka and Tverdomedove. Here is a note from one of the families there:
We thank you for your help. Potatoes were planted, onions as well [they use a diminutive here, a gentle word for potato)]; waiting for carrots, beets and greens to come out. Waiting for flowers as well, they will bring joy to our eyes; this is much needed for us. Greetings from all our village.
This week Tetiana’s team traveled from Kryviy Rih to Novohrihorivske in Kherson village. Delivered planting potatoes, seeds, eggs, candles to 55 families.
Karina - We Save Dnipro
69 people living in the shelter
23 people evacuated from Donetsk region
Humanitarian aid delivered to 37 families in need
Angelia - Mobile Clinic
280 services delivered to 66 patients received in Nosivka, Chernihiv region. Services included family doctors, ENT, EKG, and labs for blood, sugar, lipids and TSH.
Four tons of aid delivered to Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Sivers’k, Bila Tserkva, and Virnopillya (medicines, bedding, water filters, children’s gifts and blankets)
Inna’s Team - Krok z Nadiyeyu
25.4 metric tons distributed to 9230 people
11,000 people received bread
Agrarian project continues. 55 tons of potatoes were delivered. Inna’s team is starting to distribute seedlings for cabbage, pepper, and tomatoes.
Trips to frontline areas in Slaviansk, Siversk, Konstantynivka and Kramatorsk. In Siversk there is a drinking water shortage.
Delivered two generators to volunteer centers in Donetsk region
Two trips to Kherson regions – Berislav and Davydiv Brid
Distributions at Nikopol and 19 other locations across Kharkiv and Dnipro areas
Earlier this week, Inna’s volunteers in Pavlohrad survived a terrorist attack on the city. The explosions were close enough to lightly damage their residences.
Pavel’s Team — Touch of Heart and Dawn of Hope
4,737 people received help
Attack on Mykolayiv happened close to Pavel and Olena’s headquarters. Volunteers had windows unlocked as a result the pressure opened the windows knocking down plants off the window, but their windows remained whole, unlike many windows in the houses close by.
420 families received help in Kharkiv this week. Pavel focused on widows and foster homes in Kharkiv.
1.5 tons of medicine delivered to a hospital in Ochakiv
Marina – Good Give Ukraine
Distributed 150 food and hygiene parcels to single elderly people
Oleksandr’s Volunteer Network
Pavlo V’s team/Dnipro: delivered 4.75 tons of groceries and adult diapers to Pokrosvík, Slovyansk and Dobropillya.
Bread delivered to refugee and homeless shelter in Dnipro.
Vladislav K/ Mykolayiv: 35 tons of drinking water delivered
Sandra S/Odesa: 1,100 people fed.
Andryi P /Chernivtsi: 4 tons of aid delivered to Mykolayiv (potatoes, rice, cereals, hygiene, medicine, bedding, clothes, and apples).
Oleksandr Z’s /Lutsk: art therapy workshop for 19 women. Held clay theray workshops for children with cerebral palsy and for children of IDPs
Oleksiy H/Kherson: 26.75 tons of fuel briquettes/firewood delivered to 119 families in the villages of Myrne, Zorya and Lubomyrivka.
Oleksandr has started working with a new team from Zaporizhzhia headed by Pavlo B. The team distributed 360 food kits and 460 loaves of fresh bread in the village of Pidporozhnianka, 600 food kits and 500 loaves of bread in Bogatyrevo, 300 food kits and 540 loaves to Novohupalivka and 540 loaves and 1,080 cans of meat pate in Hryhoryevske. We are excited to add this important direction to our network.
Dina - Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina
Distributed 628 packages of humanitarian aid to displaced families, as well as medicine, pet food, diapers, baby food and formula, donated clothing and school uniforms
Mailed 200 packages of humanitarian aid and bedding from Dnipro to families in small towns without resources
This story comes from Yulia, the VL-VK volunteer who runs the distribution center in Kremenchuk. The grandpa in the photo is 87 years old. He is not a displaced person, but is a resident of Kremenchuk. In 2014 he lost his son, and last year he lost his wife. He had to take out a loan to pay for the funeral expenses. He receives a small pension from the government, part of which he spends on medicine and the rest on repaying the loan. Yulia met him when they were unloading a truck of groceries and he asked for one of the canned foods and shared this story. This week, Yulia called him and invited him to come and an aid package. She says that he was so touched that he cried.
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch
On Friday Tetiana woke up to the horrible news that a Russian rocket destroyed a section of a multi-story apartment building in the nearby town of Uman, a two-hour drive away. She and her team proceeded with the planned trip to deliver aid to the orphanage in Korsun'-Shevchenkivs'kyi, and on the way back saw the phone number of Uman’s help center in the news. They called, found out what was needed, and drove there with aid right away. They brought food that did not require much preparation for rescue workers and local residents from other buildings that were damaged by the blast. Their help was very much needed and eagerly awaited at the help center in Uman. Still in shock by the stories they heard from the rescuers searching for survivors among the rubble, Tetiana’s team drove home. The team finished their long and trying day by delivering pel’meni and other food to children in another orphanage in Mikhailivka.
Andriy’s Team - BF Pomahaem
67 people, including 23 children, live in the shelter in Voloske.
Team is accumulating aid for upcoming trips to the Kherson and Dnipro regions.
Timur’s Team – Timur and Team
Distributed 200 aid packages to the widows of the Chernobyl liquidators on Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster anniversary.
500 hygiene sets distributed in Kivsharivka (deoccupied zones near Kharkiv)
40 seniors with disabilities received aid in Kharkiv
Alena - Virgo
On Wednesday Alena’s team went on another trip into liberated towns in the Kherson area. Their adventures started on Tuesday night when they found out that the bus they usually borrow is broken and had to scramble to find an alternative. Postponing the trip was not an option. Alena’s goal this time was to bring fresh produce to the people in the towns. From her previous expeditions, she knew that fresh dairy and meat is what they missed the most and could not afford to buy. Alena managed to find two smaller vans, and they left early Wednesday morning.
The volunteer team made it to Limany, Luparevo, and Aleksandrivka and were supposed to go to Kherson, but right then 3 guided missiles landed in the neighboring town of Stanislav, and the army told them they must turn back. Luckily, no one was injured in the attack. Instead, they distributed the rest of the aid to people in Aleksandrivka. Alena says that when it was first liberated, there were only about 10 people in the town, but now there are over 500 as people who evacuated earlier returned to their homes. Unfortunately, most of their homes have been destroyed and they have nowhere to live. They are asking for building supplies to repair the damage.
On the way back through Luparevo, Alena’s team also visited a unique cat and dog shelter on the outskirts of the town. It is run by a single woman volunteer. She used to be a truck driver, but has always had a soft spot for rescuing animals. After becoming a victim of assault, she quit her job and dedicated herself to building an animal shelter specifically rehabilitating those who suffered from human-inflicted abuse. Alena brought pet food and discussed additional shelter needs.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh
Livyj_bereh core team continues construction in Sloboda Kucharska; expanded roof repairs to the village or Prudianka in Kharkiv region
Svetlana and Olha from Kherson helped 332 families: 157 in Kherson, 120 in Komyshany, 55 in Fedorivka
Bogdan - Vse robymo sami
Continuing construction of children’s center “House of Joy”
Distributed aid, strollers, and car seats to families in need
Held art classes for children, who also attended a concert, started to prepare their own dance concert, and held a therapy session about character strengths
How to Help
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