October 19, 2023
56,682 people evacuated from danger to date
179 people evacuated from danger this week
41 trips into the deoccupied and frontline territories
In addition to dangerous missions delivering aid to frontline areas, Ukrainian volunteers continue to support communities in their hometowns. It is easy to forget how difficult life could be for some families affected by sickness or disability even in major cities, while Ukraine has to direct almost all of its resources to fight for national survival. Pavel’s team is helping a family in Mykolaiv. The mother left the family, and the father is trying to raise 8 children on his own. A few months into the war his legs were paralyzed. Pavel’s team helps them with basic necessities on an ongoing basis. Although stories like this one are hard to hear, we feel grateful we are able to help – thanks to the donations of our community, and the dedication of Ukrainian volunteer teams who continue their impactful daily work through the second autumn of war.
Stories
Alena’s team restores life in two towns in the Mykolaiv region
On her visit to Maksymivka and Kyselivka, Alena found only 30 families living there. The two villages near Kherson had both been occupied by the Russian forces until November 2022. There was no water or electricity; animal corpses lined the roads; and the fields and gardens were mined. Now, 176 families (337 people) live in these villages, thanks in large part to Alena’s team’s efforts and donations from you, our amazing supporters. Your money helped de-mine the towns and fields around them, install windows in 24 more homes, for a total of 66 homes repaired, and even bring 300 sets of treats for people to celebrate. Alena specifically wanted us to report that among those who returned was the local school’s English teacher.
Anastasia’s trip to the frontline territories
On Saturday, LoveUA, Anastasia’s team, delivered 310 packages of food and hygiene items to frontline villages. The team traveled in an old truck and a car and had to stop periodically to add air to their tires, with artillery fire rumbling in the distance.
People receiving help confirmed that village stores had been closed for months. Only traveling salespeople come occasionally with a small selection of items sold from the trunk of the car. The local town leadership applies to various NGOs for help, and the infrequent deliveries usually include grains, pasta, salt and sugar. The villagers almost never receive meat or dairy and were overwhelmingly grateful for the comprehensive package Anastasia’s team lovingly put together for this trip.
Help in the Occupied Territories
545 packages were distributed in 5 towns in the occupied territories. We continue to support evacuations of people with limited mobility from the occupied territories. Exact counts could not be reported this week due communication interruption. We will provide an update next week.
Winter Prep - Firewood Project
Together with Inna’s team we are working on a large project to provide firewood to thousands of families relying on firewood for heating and cooking this winter. As part of this project UTC helped purchase chainsaws and other tools. These tools were already put to use in Chuhuiv last week. Volunteers cut down the old poplars damaged by shelling and a few trees from local residents’ yards and split them into firewood. In other areas, the team procures firewood in bulk and delivers it to frontline villages.
Team summaries
Ihor NGO Dobra Sprava (“Good Cause”)
17 trips and 179 people evacuated from Sviatohirsk, Mykolaiv, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk and Kherson areas.
Inna’s Team
25.4 tons of aid delivered to 8,410 people in 47 towns and cities, including Nikopol, Balakleia as well as frontline areas mentioned below.
9,500 people received bread.
Flood relief in Kherson:
Dehumidified 2 more homes
Disinfected 4 homes
Installed water pump in 1 building
Repaired windows and roofs
Performed 17 generator refuelings
200 packages delivered to Druzhkivka; food and diapers distributed in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): distributed grocery sets, hygiene products and medicine to 250 people in Novohryhorivka, Lyubomyrivka and Ternovi Pody villages of the Mykolaiv Region.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): transported 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons of water from Mykolaiv to Kherson.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 1,800 people.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): delivered 500 kg of grains and clothing to an aid center in Vinnytsia. Sent 200 kg of fabrics, stationery and toys to low-income children in Lutsk and 50 kg of grains to a low-income family in the Mohyliv-Podilskyi District (Vinnytsia Region).
Andryi P (Chernivtsi): bought a minibus in Germany and brought it together with 1,100 kg of humanitarian aid to Chernivtsi. Delivered 15 tons of humanitarian aid from Chernivtsi to Mykolaiv for further distribution.
Oksana K (Lutsk): Sent 50 kg of grains to a low-income family in Mohyliv-Podilskyi District and 1,200 needles for insulin syringes to Kherson. Distributed 500 kg of food and adult diapers to locals.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): held three art therapy sessions for 80 children, including internally displaced (IDP) children, children with disabilities, children from large families and children of military families. 36 children went on a museum tour and 82 children received help with food, attended an autumn holiday event and an autumn camp.
NGO Angelia
Brought 1,770 kg of supplies from Munich, Möckern and Wittenberg (Germany) to Chernivtsi, including crutches, medical supplies, clothes, electric wheelchairs, children's beds, blankets and exam tables.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh
13.2 tons of vegetables delivered to the village of Afanasivka.
168 packages distributed to the elderly in Kherson by Svitlana’s team.
7 buildings received new roofs last week in the villages of Prudianka and Slatyne.
Natasha - Vysnia Volunteer Center
We continue to support teams working on civil demining in the Kharkiv region. Last week they completed demining a key railroad segment near Izyum, restoring passage of trains through the area.
Karina - We Save Dnipro
89 people in the shelter
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch
Distributed 200 aid packages in and around Odnorobivka, Kharkiv region.
Timur’s Team-Timur and Team
Every delivery has a story.
Delivered 250 packages to Slavyansk.
Brought 200 to Cherkasskiye Tishki.
Distributed 150 in Saltivka, Kharkiv, primarily to kids and elderly.
Gave out 100 packages in the deoccupied Kamyanka, Izyum region where nearly every house is damaged.
Started window repairs in Saltivka to prepare for the winter.
Pavel and Olena - Touch of Heart and Dawn of Hope
Mykolaiv office provided food to 2542 people.
6 tons of water brought to Novopavlivske and Kobzartsi.
Distributed warm clothing in Novopavlivske.
Helped 20 orphans currently living in public housing.
Organized a special event for mothers whose husbands died in war.
Andriy - BF Pomahaem
Delivered 227 large family packages to Kherson.
254 packages distributed in Ilarionove, Dnipro region.
Prepared building materials for 6 families in Mykolaiv region.
10 tons of water delivered to Marhanets mostly to support foster homes and large families.
Dina - Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina
730 packages of humanitarian aid distributed in the regular centers
Sergey T traveled to Izyum region delivering 500 packages of aid, enough to cover the needs of three small towns.
Bogdan - Vse robymo sami
44 food aid packages were distributed among families.
Children with disabilities and children from families who suffered from war had cooking, art and emotional support classes this week.
Anastasia - LoveUA
Delivered 310 packages of aid to Bilokuz'mynivka and Fedorivka
Alena - Virgo
Brought 300 humanitarian aid packages to Maksymivka and Kyselivka
Installed 24 more windows in Maksymivka and Kyselivka
How to Help
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