KHERSON
The Skhidnyi (Eastern) neighborhood of Kherson is one of the places that suffers the most from the Russian aggression. There is very rarely any electricity, there are constant problems with water supply, shops or pharmacies operation, and, in general, the danger of moving around the street. Recently, drones have even started flying and dropping bombs in the area. But people continue living there. The team of the EO “IBF “Step with Hope” in Kherson has developed a whole plan of relocation from this area. Now, according to the agreed plan, we go there to refuel generators for the local people so they can recharge their phones, stay in touch, and have electricity for some time. We install generators and help everyone to refuel them. Of course, our main goal is to save people, so we are talking to them about their possible relocation to at least other districts of the city that are a bit safer. We tell them of our readiness to help with transportation and even housing. But some stay there no matter what. We keep visiting those people all the time and help them feel that there is light even in the pitch black.
AGROPROJECT
We are still getting grateful feedback from people, which we would like to share.
KHARKIV REGION
ZNAMIANKA
“My name is Margarita Simonenko, 29 years old. I am an IDP. We moved from Kharkiv during the war to live with our relatives in the village of Znamianka. I have a dependent son who has been disabled since childhood. Thank you very much for the delicious loaves of bread delivered every week. I wish you all health, peaceful skies, and a speedy end to the war.”
NEW VODOLAGA
We distribute bread to IDPs, pensioners, and the disabled who are temporarily unemployed. People are grateful for material bread.
CHUHUIV AND KYSHCHYTKA
IDPs, the disabled, large families, pensioners, the poor, and the temporarily unemployed received help here.
“I am Lyudmila Moroko, a single pensioner born in 1948. I live on a tiny pension, which is very difficult now, I have no family or friends. All my hope is in volunteers. Thank you for being here, just thank you for what you do for us! God bless you and may you have a peaceful sky above your heads!”
KHARKIV, KAMIANA YARUGA, MALA DANYLIVKA
This week we assisted the needy through food packages and bread. On Sunday, we organized a master class on pastry where children made delicious cookies on their own.
We also continue providing people with the opportunity to recharge their gadgets and flashlights, take a shower, do laundry, etc.
DNIPROPETROVSK REGION
NIKOPOL
We continue developing our activities in Nikopol and farther in the district. As we progress, new opportunities open up for us. And, once bold dreams, are becoming a reality before our eyes.
This week we have been working hard at our assistance center. We distributed drinking water and food to the people under our care. That is a fairly wide range of people living in the area surrounding the center, with whom we are building relationships of trust and friendship.
About 100 people around us come to us for water as, today, there is a chronic water shortage here.
In addition to providing water and food, we also visited one more village with the eyeglasses project. This is a new settlement we will have to serve in several visits, e.i. the village of Chystopil (formerly Kirovo), which has hosted many people since the beginning of the war. It was there that we spent the weekend, serving a total of about 65 people. We also distributed sweets and food.
This village used to be called Kirovo. It was also affected by decommunization. It was renamed Chystopil. We arrived to find lots of people waiting for us there. The village is large, but it is far from Nikopol. And there is the same problem here, that can be seen in all our villages in our district. You arrive and see despair in people’s eyes, with everything broken all around you. Even though the village is large, very few people remain. It is good that there is a village group in one of the messengers, through which we managed to notify the people about our coming. That’s how they were informed and many of them were able to show up. For the reception of patients, we were provided with a club converted into an outpatient clinic.
As always, we heard lots of stories. There is a family of IDPs from Marhanets living in Chystopil village. In her advanced age, Tamara Mykhailivna suffers from leg diseases. Unable to buy anything new, she suffers every day moving around on an old walker. We noticed this need and provided this woman with a new walker that we had in stock.
During the week, we distributed 2000 liters of drinking water, 90 pairs of eyeglasses, 20 packages of sweets, 1 walker, and 30 food packages. In total, we reached about 220 families in all areas of our activities.
PAVLOGRAD
As usual, food packages, clothes, and hygiene kits were distributed in Pavlograd. In total, 195 IDPs, disabled people, and those in need received help.
SYNELNYKOVE
In Synelnykove we have a very strong team of volunteers and they are constantly busy as bees.
Every Tuesday, we distribute bread to IDPs and other vulnerable categories of people, such as large families, single mothers, and people with disabilities. The number of people every Tuesday reaches up to 150 people.
Every Wednesday and Sunday we have fitness classes, namely a health club, one of the fitness activities for IDP women. This group reaches 10 people.
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday various groups have their master classes. A psychologist is engaged in art therapy. On Thursday, women knit socks. We have already sent these socks to the hospital and to the brave men who are fighting for our country. Now we are preparing socks for the winter, for our guys in the UK, for those units that are currently training there.
Every Sunday we also have classes for IDP children of different categories and ages. We also involve local children with disabilities.
KRYVYI RIH
This week, visits were made to Kryvyi Rih and around Kryvyi Rih district. Namely, to the Hrechanopodivska and Novolativska Amalgamated territorial communities.
The purpose of the trips was:
– receiving and delivering humanitarian aid and providing moral and psychological assistance;
– conducting psycho-training for victims of the war.
It was extremely tough to communicate with the relatives of our fallen heroes. People are going through this painful experience of loss very hard. Many also have relatives missing in action.
In addition to the above-mentioned activities, we organized the distribution of bread.
KAMIANSKE
The work of the volunteer center in the Kamianske district was intense and included:
– transportation of humanitarian aid in Kamianske (left and right banks), targeted delivery to low-income families;
– psycho-social program “Healing of mental traumas”;
– children’s meetings;
– massage room;
– clothing distribution;
– distribution of eyeglasses;
– organizing charity lunches (a charity tent, porridge, salad, iced tea (especially appropriate in this hot season), cookies for all those who needed refreshments).
We also started a new stage of work with children. We held a culinary master class named “Fast Pizza”. The “Interesting Geometry” class was also held this week and involved art therapy, drawing a geometric pattern. We organized a children’s meeting, called “I am learning about the world”, in the format of discovering and learning new things. We are getting started with the “7 Wonders of Ukraine” cycle.
“I, Natalia Mykolaivna, am 78 years old, a resident of Nikopol. I left Nikopol on my own in the fall of 2022. My children went abroad, and I, as a faithful Ukrainian, stayed in my homeland. At the moment I am living in the city of Kamianske in a dormitory in Dniprostroy. In my hometown, my house was destroyed to the ground. This year I have undergone two oncology surgeries and am now undergoing rehabilitation at a hospice. I am very grateful to all the sponsors and volunteers who help IDPs, because without your support life would be very difficult for us. I thank God that there are people who care about us.”
