Kherson. Our volunteers’ stories
The team of volunteers of the charitable organization ICF Step with Hope in Kherson continues to fight the invasion of rats that have flooded the city. When Ms.Iryna called us to ask for help, we thought it would be merely another regular pest control.
But when we entered the apartment, we were shocked. The rats were running around everywhere, both on the floor and in the closets. We managed to catch a few rodents. For the rest of them, we left special tools that would help the apartment owner to get rid of the uninvited guests. In such difficult cases, we always explain that as soon as the poison disappears, it means that the apartment needs to be re-detoxified and they need to turn to us again. Ms.Iryna was very grateful for our assistance and for a long time later on she was telling all her neighbors about the incredible organization that does not leave Kherson residents alone with their problems.
Project to provide the population with seeds and seedlings (an agricultural project)
In the spring of 2023, a joint project of the CO ICF Step with Hope and the Ukraine TrustChain organization aimed at helping people grow vegetables to provide families with food became very popular. Thanks to the vegetables grown by themselves on the land burned by missiles, many families have been able to survive.
Ukrainians are amazing people. Being surrounded by the grey clouds of troubles, they find the resource to shine from within. When there is war around them, which brings destruction, devastation and extermination, they strive to create, build, plant, grow and develop. Despite the horrors of the present day, the residents of some frontline regions shyly asked us to resume the agricultural project this year.
You asked, we listened. So we are sharing this incredible news now: The Agro Project 2024 is going to happen!
We are planning to provide 10,000 families living in the frontline areas of Ukraine with kits of packaged seeds. Further details and photos of the project implementation are coming soon!
Providing for Donetsk region
As always, we planned a trip to Donetsk region, namely to the towns of Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. Traditionally, our visits are warmly welcomed and rewarded with deep gratitude and people’s expectation of bread, food packages and hygiene products, as well as some pleasant emotions. Going there we regularly meet new people whom we are happy to help. This trip was no exception.
There’s Olga. She has lost her job and now survives solely on her pension. Currently she is taking care of her little grandson, as his mother has died. She needs diapers, clothes for the baby-boy and baby food. It is simply impossible to live a full life on an old person’s pension, and it is becoming more and more challenging for Olga to look after her orphaned grandson day by day.
As you can imagine, this frail, thin, but strong-minded woman with glowing eyes became our symbol of this trip.
News from Kharkiv region
Kharkiv region is one of the most affected areas of Ukraine. It is constantly under attack. People are in dire need of help as they have virtually no jobs and therefore no means of survival.
This week some pensioners, the disabled, the unemployed and IDPs received help in Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast. And then we got a note of gratitude from one of the IDPs:
“I, Maria Ivanova, born in 1965, am an internally displaced person from Kharkiv. Along with my daughter, who has been disabled since childhood, I live in Kharkiv district of Kharkiv region. Thank you for the fact that Ukraine TrustChain provides delicious loaves of bread free of charge in such a severe time for our country. I wish all the volunteers to have a peaceful sky over their heads, to develop and to prosper!!!”
Kharkiv events
On Friday, a large-scale shelling of the city of Kharkiv took place, causing a total blackout. Again! In addition, water supply, heating, and even gas delivery were cut off in several areas. Basic cooking became an impossible task. Thanks to the team of volunteers from the CO ICF Step with Hope, a generator was launched and the food distribution point turned into a real Point of Unbreakability, where people could also charge their phones and other devices.
Furthermore, special classes were organized for children, teenagers and people in difficult life circumstances, that is pensioners, the unemployed, the IDPs and the disabled. On top of that, with the support of Ukraine TrustChain, delicious bread was distributed.
Dnipropetrovsk region welcomes you
In Nikopol targeted assistance has gained momentum. Such a large number of people who have been receiving our help have already become our friends. That includes one little family, a mother and her disabled daughter, who always meet us with gladness and gratitude.
In Pavlohrad we distributed both clothes and food as well as hygiene products. The free distribution of bread also induced thankfulness. Here is one of the thankful feedbacks:
“My name is Olga, I came here from Horlivka. We are very grateful for the help we have been receiving from you throughout the war. We have bread which means that now we are not hungry anymore! We are much obliged!”
In Petrykivka we have already established a good tradition of having our volunteers from Kamianske conduct interesting assistance programs for the people in need. As always, psycho-social programs were held for children and adults.
The territorial distribution center in Kamianske continues its work in the following areas:
– receiving and distributing bread in Kamianske;
– delivering of bread, food and humanitarian aid to volunteer centers, distribution points, and to the hospital;
– handing out food packages;
– giving charity lunches;
– running comprehensive, group psycho-social assistance;
– having a massage room functioning;
– selecting and distributing glasses for the locals;
– organizing charity haircuts for internally displaced people.
The words of gratefulness we would like to share with you:
“I am Yulia, a 34-year-old resident of Sievierodonetsk. At the beginning of the war, when the shelling started to be heard in our city more and more frequently, the residents began to leave, so my family and I left our home too. Now we are renting a house in Romankovo, but I hope to return home, although I have no idea if our house has survived. I am very grateful to the sponsors for such a significant support in this burdensome time. Thank you and God bless you!”
“I am Tormak Milana Stepanovna, 72 years old. I used to live in Izium. When the fighting reached my hometown and the shelling of Izium began, we decided to evacuate with our children and grandchildren. They went to the village, but after a while the frontline advanced to the village, too, and the shelling began there. My son’s friends invited him to Kamianske and found us an apartment. Now that my son and daughter-in-law have been invited to return to Izium and help rebuild the city, I decided to stay here. I’m very grateful to all the caring people I’ve met to this day and thankful to the ones who are still helping me now. Also, I deeply appreciate this delicious bread.”
A story from the life of a volunteer
One of our active volunteers in Kamianske is Lyudmyla Mykolayivna.
She is 69 years old. She heard that our foundation was distributing aid and came to sign up for a humanitarian program. And then she came to the Overcoming Disaster program. She liked it very much and decided that she wanted to help others rather than merely receive help.
Lyudmila Mykolayivna happened to have lost her child, so she was grieving and suffering a lot, but now she has found the meaning of her life in helping others.
Today, Lyudmyla Mykolayivna is actively involved in all of the programs: she takes part in receiving bread on Mondays and Tuesdays, which she then distributes to the poor, the disabled, the IDPs, and the families with many children. Moreover, she cooks meals for the people who visit the charity lunches every week. On average, 50 people come for such a lunch, sometimes, even 70.
“I am so happy now! I am busy, people need me. I am very content. I run around trying to do something for others and eventually, get inner satisfaction. I see people filled with thankfulness and joy.”
In total, we have served 8200 people and provided free bread for 9500 more. We distributed 20600 kg of food.
News from the psycho-social direction
Positive Parenting weekly meetings
Communication is a significant part of our lives. Learning to listen is as important as being able to speak your mind. Asking questions can help master this skill. How should one ask questions? What kinds of questions are there? We discussed this all at a regular meeting with parents of happy children.
Support group with Iryna Isakova
There was a meeting called “Little Helping Palm”. The speaker reminded the audience that in order to overcome stress, it is advisable to pay attention to various areas of life: emotions, knowledge, body, hobbies, and social support.
Healing Your Soul Wounds program
This week, the program named “Healing Your Soul Wounds” was launched in Dnipro. The topic was as follows: If God loves us, why do we suffer? There was interest, tough questions, fascinating discussions and a great team taking part in it all. At our next meeting we are going to talk about emotional trauma: its signs and manifestations.
Positive Ukrainian Lessons
In wartime, learning the Ukrainian language has become particularly relevant and has been in great demand. That is why we have decided to find resources and start a course teaching Ukrainian. The lessons are always easy and exciting, for instance, this week we have continued learning poems and tongue twisters.
Support group with Natalie Khoroshykh
We all need hope, as it is the thing that inspires us, gives us powers to live and move forward. By means of art-therapy, our emotions speak more than our thoughts. The visitors of the meeting with Natalie Khoroshykh created their own symbols of hope, something to demonstrate how they see their future. For some, it was spending time with their loved ones, for others it was putting on nice clothes and enjoying the beauty, and for others it was all about returning home…
Anti-stress English with Natalia Khoroshykh
We continue to overcome stress by learning a foreign language. This week we talked about feelings and also welcomed some new participants. As always, we had a great share of laughter and smiling as well as rejoiced at each other’s success.
