Themes by tag: volunteers

On July 11–12, teams of volunteer doctors from FRIDA Ukraine will travel to frontline communities in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region to provide medical care to civilians.

By prior arrangement, journalists can accompany the medical volunteers to document their work and interview both patients and doctors.

Background: FRIDA Ukraine’s medical volunteer missions are regular deployments of multidisciplinary medical teams to frontline and remote communities across Ukraine. Each mission brings together more than 20 specialists, including neurologists, surgeons, gynecologists, internists, dermatologists, and other healthcare professionals. During these visits, local residents receive free medical examinations, consultations, and laboratory tests. More recently, the team has also introduced cancer screening to help detect diseases at an early stage.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Dnipro

While traveling to one of the communities where they were providing medical care in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, the FRIDA Ukraine medical team witnessed yet another russian attack on civilians. The doctors saw an enemy drone strike a combine harvester working in a field.

A 30-year-old man was injured in the attack. The combine caught fire, and the surrounding wheat field also ignited. FRIDA Ukraine doctors provided the victim with first aid before emergency responders arrived.

“We picked him up, moved to a safer location, and provided first aid. He had a blast injury, and his face and legs had been hit by shrapnel. We then waited for the emergency medical team to arrive and handed him over to the paramedics,” said Nataliia Domochkina, a pediatric dentist with FRIDA Ukraine.

By prior arrangement, journalists can interview the doctors in Kyiv and receive photos and video materials.

Background: FRIDA Ukraine’s medical volunteer missions are regular deployments of multidisciplinary medical teams to frontline and remote communities across Ukraine. Each mission brings together more than 20 specialists, including neurologists, surgeons, gynecologists, internists, dermatologists, and other healthcare professionals. During these visits, local residents receive free medical examinations, consultations, and laboratory tests. More recently, the team has also introduced cancer screening services.

• casualties
• doctors
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Daria Chorna is a co-founder of the “Kyiv Bats” volunteer community. In early 2024, as a volunteer, she joined the debris clearance efforts following another russian missile strike. On February 7 of the same year, Daria returned to clear debris with friends, and within a few days, formed a small team, which gave start to the “Kyiv Bats.” The community also began helping victims with processing documents and receiving assistance. Young people mostly join the “Bats.” Their main goal is to show by their own example how one can help and support those in need. 

Daria Chorna is available for interviews, either online or in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

This summer, the BURmobile will embark on a 90-day tour of communities across Left-Bank Ukraine.

The BURmobile is a mobile community development platform run by the NGO Building Ukraine Together (BUR). It travels to communities with a programme of activities in a mini-festival format, featuring interactive events, opportunities for participants to get acquainted, presentations of BUR’s opportunities, and activities aimed at engaging local youth in the development of local initiatives.

• volunteers

Odesa native Ruslan Khomutenko is a karate coach with over 20 years of experience and a volunteer. He is also the founder of the “Mowgli” Children’s Center in Odesa.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ruslan was on vacation in Cambodia. On February 27, 2022, he returned to Ukraine via a long route through Cambodia, Thailand, Qatar, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova. From the very first days, he organized the evacuation of families with children. He personally conducted more than 100 evacuations, including from the “gray zones” of the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions.

In the facilities of the “Mowgli” Children’s Center, he organized a shelter (a transit point) for evacuated families and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who reached Odesa on their own. He also established a humanitarian headquarters to provide assistance to families with children. As of May 2026, 1,700 families in Odesa and Kherson receive humanitarian aid through his initiative.

In addition, displaced children and children of military personnel have the opportunity to attend the “Mowgli” Children’s Center in Odesa free of charge. (Two of the club’s six sports halls were damaged during russian attacks).

Ruslan travels to Kherson every week to hold karate classes for children. Due to the security situation in the city, the classes take place in one of the bomb shelters. Children of various ages attend the training sessions, with the youngest participant being just 4 years old. Ruslan also conducts self-defense classes for women in both Kherson and Odesa.

By prior arrangement, journalists can interview Ruslan in Odesa, Kherson, or via an online format.

• children
• volunteers
• Kherson
• Odesa

Adam, 28, was born in Miami, United States. At the age of 17, he moved to Austria, where he completed high school, before later studying in Germany. It was in Austria that he first became friends with Ukrainians. In 2021, Adam visited Kyiv and Odesa for the first time.

After russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Adam travelled to Warsaw, where he volunteered to assist Ukrainian refugees. In early 2023, he moved to Ukraine permanently.

He later came across the charitable organisation Brave to Rebuild (Smilyvi Vidnovliuvaty) online and decided to join its volunteer efforts. Adam took part in the demolition of damaged structures and carried out minor repairs to homes hit by shelling. He also worked in Kherson shortly after russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in 2023.
Adam is currently involved in emergency response work, boarding up windows in residential buildings damaged by russian strikes. He recently became a staff member of Brave to Rebuild. Adam has also learned the Ukrainian language.

By prior arrangement, journalists will have an opportunity to interview Adam in Kyiv after June 15.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The De-occupation Shop (Lavka Deokupatsii) is a volunteer initiative operating in Kharkiv that sells vegetables and other products grown by residents of liberated communities in the Kharkiv region.

The project’s main goal is to help restore local farming and create economic independence for residents of Studenok village in Izium district. Located near the border of the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, the village spent more than three months under russian occupation after May 31, 2022.

The initiative assists residents with purchasing seeds, building and maintaining greenhouses, and marketing their harvests in Kharkiv. A retail outlet in the city offers cucumbers, green onions, young garlic, carrots, zucchini, new potatoes, artisanal seasoned salt and fresh honey produced by local farmers. Customers can also purchase preserved vegetables, jams and cheeses made in the liberated village of Khotimlia.

Products are also available through partner fairs and online sales. The project has developed a B2B sales channel and cooperates with restaurants and food-service businesses across Ukraine.

In addition, products from the De-occupation Shop have been ordered from the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Croatia, the United States, Finland, Lithuania, Hungary and Belgium.

By prior arrangement, journalists can visit and report on the initiative in Kharkiv.

Background: The De-occupation Shop is a project of the charitable foundation Volonterska.

• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

Dariia Chorna is a co-founder of the volunteer community “Kyiv Bats.” In early 2024, she joined rubble-clearing efforts as a volunteer following another russian missile strike.

On February 7 of that year, Chorna returned to another disaster site together with friends. Within days, they formed a small team that would later become the foundation of “Kyiv Bats.”

The community also began helping victims with paperwork and access to assistance. Most of the volunteers joining the group are young people. Their main goal is to lead by example and show how people can help and support those in need.

Dariia Chorna is available for interviews both online and offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

On May 27, Kyiv will host a special evening marking the fourth anniversary of Dobrobat, a volunteer initiative that has supported Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale war through reconstruction efforts, humanitarian aid, and support for healthcare, education and sports.

The event is intended not only as a reflection on the past four years, but also as a tribute to more than 50,000 volunteers and partners who helped rebuild destroyed homes, restore life in liberated communities and support Ukrainians affected by the war.

At the heart of the gathering will be Dobrobat volunteers from across Ukraine — from the border areas of Sumy region to Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.

The program includes:

• A review of four years of resilience and work;
• Presentations of new large-scale projects and areas of activity;
• Personal stories from volunteers and partners;
• Informal networking and discussions.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

Building Ukraine Together (BUR) is launching a new season of BUR camps — volunteer construction camps held in cities and villages across Ukraine that engage young people from around the country in volunteer work.

This year’s BUR camps will take place in Kyiv, Sumy and the village of Byshiv in the Kyiv region. In Kyiv (May 23 — June 1), volunteers will work on renovating an annex attached to a residential building in one of the city’s districts that had long stood abandoned.

Work will focus on two premises within the annex to create the “Svitlychnykh Space” cultural center — a community-oriented venue aimed at strengthening local ties, expanding the district’s cultural infrastructure and preserving local history.

Background: Building Ukraine Together is a civic organization that creates opportunities for young people to drive change in Ukraine through volunteering.

• volunteers
• Kyiv