The agricultural project in action
During the week, the volunteers of the ICF Step with Hope have been actively distributing seeds under the slogan “Seeds of Good for the Victory”. The philosophy of this year’s project was the desire to embody the image of victory over circumstances and stress in the seeds that grow despite all of the difficulties. Also, along with the seeds that we give out to people from our hands to theirs, we want to share our hope for the best, the hope that remembers that just as a little seed can make its way from the darkness of the earth to the outside, so we must overcome our dark streak in the history of the Ukrainian people and move on, growing in the light.
Almost 80% of the seeds prepared for Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Dnipro regions have already been packed and packaged. We hope that the distribution of the seeds will be organized shortly.
Those who have already received their long-awaited packages with seeds are overjoyed about it. Among them are 200 families in Druzhkivka, several families from Kostiantynivka, and 100 families from Kramatorsk.
When we distribute seeds, we usually receive positive feedback and many real stories from people. We would like to share some of them.
Once we were approached by a woman from Verkhniy Toretsk, Yasynuvata district, Donetsk region. She is a labor veteran who has worked for 52 years and has an Order for Courage, III degree. When the war broke out, her house was bombed and burned to the ground with all of her domestic animals, including six goats and thirty-seven chickens, which she took care of herself despite her advanced age.
When the house started burning, she and her son barely managed to escape, leaving everything behind: the house, the vegetable garden of 1-hectare, and all their possessions. After that, they barely made it to Kostiantynivka on foot, where they are currently living.
“Thank you very much for the seeds! I love gardening, so am going to plant them all.”
In Kramatorsk, 100 families also received the seeds and are looking forward to getting the future harvest.
There are a lot of IDPs living in Synelnykove, who are mostly renting little private houses with gardens. People have been waiting for the seeds for a considerably long time, and, this week, their distribution finally began.
Kherson
People are gradually returning to Kherson and are faced with the fact that no disinfection work necessary according to some standards was carried out there after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was blown up.
We, the ICF Step with Hope volunteers, are helping with this.
This week we carried out a grand disinfection of a kindergarten that had been completely covered with water during the disaster, so the mold was abundant everywhere including the ceiling. We hope that children will eventually be able to visit that kindergarten. And one day the war here and the flood will only be our memories.
Here is the feedback from one of the owners of the apartments which we disinfected.
“I would like to say a big thank you to the ICF Step with Hope and the Ukraine TrustChain organization. I could not even imagine that it was possible to call someone only once, for the first time, and get a volunteer, Oleksandr, immediately come to the rescue. Firstly, we exchanged phone numbers, and secondly, he came and to check out what kind of trouble I was in. It had a horrible problem, as all the walls in my home were blooming with mold. And then they helped us to cope with it all, thank you!”
Also, our assistance is not limited to disinfection, but we help with the consequences of enemy military attacks as well. The following is one of those stories.
Larysa Viktorivna is in a difficult situation, as are many residents of Kherson. Her house came under shelling with all the windows blown out, the fence destroyed and the gas pipe cut. It became impossible for her to keep living in such a building.
Her friends helped her and her daughter move to a house where they could abide. The lady said that she was ashamed to ask for help, but her life circumstances left her no choice. Her daughter worked in a museum that had been looted by the Russian troops before they left the city, and she has not found a different job yet, as there are simply no job offers in Kherson. People survive on humanitarian aid. She turned to the Step with Hope ICF because she was unable to buy some vital medicines and food for her 18 cats! Some of the cats belonged to Larysa Viktorivna personally and the others used to be her neighbors’ pets. Sadly, their owners left their pets alone in the city. The lady has not abandoned the animals and goes to feed them regularly. Upon learning about this, the Kherson team of the Step with Hope ICF brought both the crucial medicines for the woman and the necessary food for the animals.
The lady was very grateful; she could not believe that this was even possible. She said that we were saving Kherson.
Donetsk region
Even though the situation in Donetsk is not an easy one at the moment, the volunteers at Step with Hope ICF with the Ukraine TrustChain organization keep bringing food and other assistance to people there regularly.
Afterward, it is deeply enjoyable to receive their words of gratitude for you:
“Dear sponsors, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the foundation and your team for taking care of people. In such a tough and stressful time, your kindness, support, and humanity are game-changing! You always help people, and provide moral and material support. Thank you so very much for everything you do! May God bless your team, and may you have peace, health, happiness, and prosperity.”
Kharkiv region
A letter of gratitude from the village of Znamianka, Kharkiv district, where internally displaced persons, pensioners, disabled people, low-income and large families have received some help.
“I, Roman Valentynovich Malov, am a first-group disabled person living with my pensioner wife. Once a week, we get loaves of bread delivered to our home. We are very happy to receive such help, as our pensions are small and don’t cover the expenses for all the groceries, to say nothing of the fact that we also need to buy medicines. We are grateful to the organizers, sponsors, and those who deliver the bread to us. I wish you to be healthy and to see a quick end to the war.”
A gratitude note from Nova Vodolaha village:
“I am Oleksandr Oleksiiovych Makovansky. I am not yet retired, but I am unemployed. I have little health issues and do not have the strength to conduct any work. I sincerely thank you for your care and for the good deeds that you do. God bless you, I wish you all the best.”
In Kharkiv itself, in Kamiana Yaruga and Mala Danylivka, we distributed bread and food as we always do. Besides, this time we even connected a generator, because people suffer electricity shortcuts in this area due to frequent shelling. With the help of the generator, we were able to help many locals charge their mobile devices and call their loved ones and hear such familiar words: “Are you okay?” And last but not least, to answer back, “I’m alive”.
Thanks to our partners, Ukraine TrustChain, we are able to provide people with the essentials. We also organized an outdoor event for kids and teenagers, which they enjoyed immensely.
Dnipropetrovsk region
Nikopol
Nikopol does not stop working in the field of helping people. Water distribution and food parcels have already become our hallmarks. Also, the program of helping people select and receive eyeglasses for free is currently very popular. In such a time of affliction, there is not always enough money for basic needs such as food and medicine, let alone eyeglasses. There are also cases when we visit people’s homes to help them pick up eyeglasses for themselves. This time it happened, too, when we visited a disabled man of group I, at his home to let him select glasses for himself. Oleksandr has undergone 12 surgeries, including skull trepanation. All these medical interventions became the cause of rapid damage to the condition of the eyes and deterioration of his vision. He does not leave the house at all. His elderly mother takes care of him. Providing eyeglasses has become a powerful help for the family and will help them to live on with hope for the best. As for us, we continue our work.
Pavlohrad
It’s always so rewarding to get gratitude and kind words for one’s work. Many IDPs living in Pavlohrad receive regular assistance and are always delighted to see that they have not been forgotten, that they are being taken care of, and that something good is being organized especially for them. This is what one of the women who received help said:
“My name is Olga Ihorivna, I am from Rubizhne. I moved to Pavlohrad at the beginning of the war. Your support with food and bread helps us a lot. Today you are practically the only ones who support people like us. We are immensely thankful to you.”
Kryvyi Rih
As you know, Kryvyi Rih is the longest city in Ukraine. So when we say that we are delivering food parcels around the city, it can be equated to traveling through several towns in a row, both in terms of time to commute, the weight, and the quantity of goods delivered. So, to distribute food parcels within this one city alone, we purchased about 1500 kg of food.
Kamianske
The work of the volunteer center in the Kamianske district is in full swing. As you already know, we distribute free bread, food packages, deliver food to hospitals, organize charity dinners, organize comprehensive group psycho-social support, distribute eyeglasses and even provide clothes.
We receive grateful words from people almost every day:
“I am Olga, a 39-year-old resident of the Luhansk region. I came to the town of Kamianske in 2014 with my husband Igor and a child of ours. The apartment we owned in our hometown was completely destroyed. Many thanks to all the people who help IDPs in such a time of adversity. May God bless you.”
“I am Veronika, 48 years old. I am a resident of the city of Vuhledar, Donetsk region. At the end of March 2022, my family and I left our home. During the evacuation of all the residents of the city, we joined the evacuation column with our car. In the town of Kamianske we are renting an apartment and have nowhere to return to later on because everything has been destroyed. Many thanks to the sponsors for their help with eyeglasses, because otherwise, we could not survive.”
The charity lunch for IDPs, large families, and low-income people was followed by very positive feedback as well. Porridge, hot tea, cookies, and a friendly atmosphere brought together people who were dramatically different in spirit and character.
“I, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Nazarenko, am a resident of Avdiivka. I moved to Kamianske with my family on June 15, 2022. After the terrible shelling, our hometown was left without electricity and water. Our apartment has been destroyed so we have nowhere to return to. I am very grateful to the sponsors for their support in these challenging times.”
Feedback from the Music Night
Although the Music Night took place two weeks ago, the feedback and good aftertaste of it has remained until now. It was a good reason to put on a nice outfit and enjoy the musical medicine. It has already been proven that listening to music keeps our brains younger, reduces chronic pain and stress levels, as well as prevents depression. The program included live piano and guitar music, singing for and with the guests, and of course, some goodies, a good share of jokes, and a photo zone! We are thankful to everyone who came and those who made us happy by sharing their talents. We would love to experience this incredible atmosphere again, therefore we will organize something as creative and inspiring in the future. Follow our news and join us.
Overcoming Stress Groups
Nowadays, we all live in a state of increased STRESS. That involves anxiety, nervousness, poor sleep, etc. We held a group meeting where we learned how to OVERCOME STRESS on a physical and emotional level. As for our emotions, the soul needs to experience the entire spectrum of emotions, from sadness to joy. One of the ways to be happy is to have a hobby or a favorite activity to undertake. For instance, sewing toys. So, at our meeting, we tried to figure out what hobby each of us should take up.
Anti-stress English
We continue to learn English. Learning a foreign language has a positive effect on the brain, even if you try to master it as an adult. So, join us and enjoy getting new knowledge with us.
Healing Your Soul Wounds Group
The “Healing Your Soul Wounds” program is held in a warm company and cozy atmosphere. Today we learned to talk through our feelings and be the one to whom someone can entrust their pain. The main thing is not to keep everything inside, remembering that any unpleasant feelings are a normal reaction to abnormal events.
Positive Ukrainian
We continue mastering the Ukrainian language by learning tongue twisters and poems and sharing interesting things from our lives. The main condition for our stories is that everything must be told in Ukrainian. Could you do it?
Soulful Gatherings Meetings
Every Thursday at 14:00, we hold Soulful Gatherings with our psychologist Iryna Isakova. Over a cup of tea, we talk about current topics, replenish our resources, and increase the level of happiness hormones. This time, the subject of our discussion was conflict. We made many impressive conclusions, which you can also learn about if you visit come over and join us!
