Themes by tag: volunteers

On November 29, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian-Israeli volunteer medical mission “FRIDA Ukraine” will hold a blood drive to address various medical needs.

In order to meet the demand for blood, there should be 40 donors per 1,000 people. Currently, this number is less than 20 in Ukraine. The lack of donor blood results in postponed surgeries, deaths of accident victims, and the inability of cancer patients to undergo treatment. By donating blood, donors give these people a chance to live.

For reference: FRIDA Ukraine is a non-governmental, non-profit, charitable mission of volunteer doctors from Ukraine and Israel. Since the beginning of the invasion, the mission has been providing emergency and outpatient medical care to civilians affected by the hostilities.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The highlight of the day will be the unveiling of the ‘Wall of Resilience and Invincibility’ at National Children’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt”, Ukraine’s leading paediatric clinic. This artistic installation symbolizes the unyielding spirit and unity of the Ukrainian people and pays tribute to the medical professionals who continue to save lives under the most challenging wartime conditions.  

The wall, located at a site damaged by russian attacks, tells the stories of those who have worked tirelessly to rebuild the country since the first days of the war. Created by volunteers and Ukrainian artists, it embodies hope, strength, and a shared belief in ultimate victory.  

Accreditation is required for journalists covering the event.

• culture
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv

In Lviv, the Car for Ukraine Volunteering Initiative will send its 500th armored pickup truck to the frontline, funded entirely by community contributions. This achievement underscores the power of collective action and the impact of volunteer-driven, crowdfunded support in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Journalists will have the opportunity to speak with the Car for Ukraine team and volunteers and see the convoy of armored pickup trucks being sent to the front line, including the 500th one.

Journalists will be able to find out the exact location and time of the event and cover it.

For reference: Car for Ukraine is a volunteering initiative that sources, upgrades and delivers pickups and SUVs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine fully crowdfunded. Since the beginning of the war the team has delivered over $4 million worth of vehicles to the army uniting people from over 20 countries including the UK, US, Germany, The Netherlands, Grenada, Australia, and more.

• volunteers
• Lviv

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, the Palianytsia Charitable Foundation has been steadfast in supporting Ukrainian defenders. Among its key initiatives, volunteers are focused on producing essential heating equipment for soldiers at the front. One of their creations is a medium-sized dugout shelter heater, designed to heat spaces of up to 20 square meters.

The Palianytsia Foundation’s welding shop in Zaporizhia is managed by Mykhailo, a volunteer who has been working since the war’s early days. He and his team aim to produce 300 heaters for frontline troops this season.

In a typical shift, the volunteers craft 10 heaters, with welders working during their spare time. The materials needed for the project are funded by donations from supporters.

• volunteers
• Zaporizhzhia

Oksana Pohomii, a dedicated volunteer and member of the Kherson City Council, remained steadfast in her commitment to her community during the relentless occupation by russian forces. Throughout this challenging period, she awaited the city’s liberation while providing crucial support to those in need, even managing to share videos documenting life under occupation. Oksana was present in Kherson during the catastrophic explosion of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023.

As the head of the Kherson Solidarna Sprava Hromad NGO (Solidarity Cause of the Communities in Kherson), Oksana recently oversaw the establishment of the Kherson Ukrainian Cultural Center, named after Oleksandr Menshov, a renowned Ukrainian writer from Kherson who lost his life at the front last year. This center serves as a refuge and hosts various cultural events, welcoming participation from all members of the community.

Following the city’s liberation, Oksana’s organization launched a volunteer bakery, providing freshly baked bread for both local residents and military personnel. On the second anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, November 11, the bakery is set to celebrate a significant milestone: the production of its three hundred thousandth loaf of bread.

Journalists interested in learning more about Oksana’s inspiring efforts can engage with her in Kherson or connect online.

For context: Kherson fell under russian occupation on March 1, 2022, at the onset of the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but the threat remains, with regular shelling continuing to affect the area.

• culture
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Oleksandra Knyha and her brother Andrii come from the town of Oleshky in the Kherson oblast (currently occupied). When russian tanks entered Oleshky and Kherson at the beginning of the invasion, the siblings stayed in the region to help the people. Friends of Oleksandra from abroad organized several truckloads of humanitarian aid, which Andrii and Oleksandra sorted and handed out. But when civic-minded volunteers began to be kidnapped by russians, the siblings had to move to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

After Kherson was liberated on November 11, 2022, they immediately returned to the city to help rebuild life there. They decided to organize creative workshops for children in shelters, understanding that damaged and looted schools and kindergartens would not reopen soon. This became the inspiration for the creation of the KRYLA Charitable Foundation.

Recently, with the support of partners and donors, they launched several major projects at the KRYLA Multi-Space — a shelter where, despite the unsafe situation in the city, Kherson residents can gather to socialize or learn new skills.

Another focus of their work is a humanitarian mission in Oleshky, located on the occupied left bank of the Kherson oblast. The settlement was severely damaged when the russians blew up the Kakhovka Dam.

Journalists can learn more and contact Oleksandra and Andrii in person or online.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kherson

On November 2-3, in partnership with the UNDP, Frida Ukraine will dispatch a team of medical volunteers to a community in the Kharkiv region, delivering crucial medical assistance. This mission will also include a dedicated dental team, supported by the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation, aimed at providing specialized care for residents.

Frida Ukraine plans to offer regular medical consultations, alongside dental services facilitated through the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, with Vladislava Romaniuk leading the medical team. 

Details about the mission’s location will be shared following accreditation.

For reference: This mission is part of the UNDP’s “Comprehensive Medical and Psychological Support with Improved Referral System” project, designed to assist communities impacted by explosive hazards. The project includes mobile hospitals providing healthcare and psychological aid, aiming to reach 15,000-20,000 residents by year’s end.

Frida Ukraine, a non-profit organization of volunteer doctors from Ukraine and Israel, has been offering emergency and outpatient care to civilians affected by the conflict since the invasion’s onset.

• casualties
• doctors
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

The charitable foundation “Volunteer Association ‘Poruch'” was founded by a couple from Avdiivka (a city in Donetsk, now destroyed and occupied by russians). Before the full-scale invasion, Rusana and Bohdan were not involved in charity work, but the war changed their lives. At first, they began helping elderly people and abandoned animals near the front lines. Soon they managed to form a team of like-minded people and establish a charitable foundation.

Today, most of the members of the “Volunteer Association ‘Poruch'” are displaced persons from the war zone or from the territories occupied by russia. Among other initiatives, Rusana and Bohdan create safe spaces for children near the front lines. These spaces offer children a place to study, engage in creative activities, and receive psychological support from specialists.

One of these spaces was created by the “Poruch” team in a modular city in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk oblast. The team renovated one of the modules, repaired the roof, and brought in furniture, school supplies, art materials, and qualified teachers. Since August 2024, 47 children have been attending this space on a regular basis. The team has set up similar spaces for children in Izium and Kramatorsk.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• volunteers
• Dnipro

Alina, a volunteer from Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, is raising two sons while supporting the nation’s defenders. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, she began by cooking meals with a friend and sending them to the frontlines. Soon after, she acquired a car, allowing her to personally deliver essential supplies to soldiers.

Her commitment led her to establish a charity named “Unbreakable Kitty,” inspired by her call sign. She recalls being called “Kitty” since her school days, with “Unbreakable” added as her resolve deepened. Her foundation continues to prepare meals and dry rations, storing all donated and purchased supplies at its facility.

In a separate room, Alina keeps cherished mementos: flags signed by soldiers, shell casings, certificates, letters of gratitude, and a photo banner honoring her brother, who was killed by a drone strike on March 17, 2024.

Alina is based in Nova Odesa, Mykolaiv region, and is open to interviews with journalists, both online and in person, with prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• women
• Mykolaiv

On October 28-29, 2024, a press tour will take place in Mykolaiv Oblast, where volunteers of the international humanitarian project “Let’s Do It Ukraine SOS” will present renovated shelters in two educational institutions. These institutions were severely damaged by the floods caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.

As part of the press tour, volunteers will also donate dehumidifiers, air purifiers and charging stations that work without electricity. These will be delivered to the facilities where repairs have already been completed. This equipment will help ensure healthy and comfortable conditions for learning and use of school shelters in the future.

Transportation for journalists from Kyiv and back will be arranged. Accreditation is required.

Background: The restoration work was carried out as part of the project to deal with the aftermath of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam explosion “Flood relief in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, assistance to households and social infrastructure facilities “Cleaning, disinfection, restoration and preparations for winter”,  with the assistance of AWO International and with the financial support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft. 

On June 6, 2023, the russian forces blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region, causing almost 14 billion dollars of damage in Ukraine.  This is stated in the “Post Disaster Needs Assessment report of the Kakhovka Dam Disaster” prepared by the UN and the Ukrainian government.

• casualties
• ecology
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv