Themes by tag: volunteers

Olena Hrekova, an ethnic Bulgarian, traces her ancestry to settlers who came to the lands of Bessarabia in the 18th century.

Before the full-scale war, Olena was the director and owner of a successful construction company in Odesa. Today, she is a major and an officer in the Development department of the Naval Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Since 2014, Olena has been actively involved in the volunteer movement in Odesa, supporting the families of servicemen who left Crimea without betraying their oath. Responding to a call to meet a bus carrying belongings for those who fled the peninsula, she connected with other like-minded Odesa residents. Together, they created the “Help the Navy” social media group. The volunteers divided the city’s neighborhoods among themselves and worked to provide military families with everything they needed.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Olena evacuated her son and volunteered in Romania. However, in May, she decided to mobilize and join the army, which she had been helping since 2014. In the Navy, Olena continues her volunteer work, helping the defenders of Ukraine.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Olena in Odesa or online by prior arrangement.

Background: Bessarabia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located between the Prut and Dniester rivers, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea. Approximately 70% of Bessarabia’s territory is in present-day Moldova, while the rest is in Ukraine.

• military
• volunteers
• women
• Odesa

Before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, environmentalist and scientist Vladyslav Mykhailenko was dedicated to teaching at a university. But after February 2022, he felt his academic work no longer met the urgency of the moment. Determined to contribute to the war effort, Mykhailenko sought ways to merge his expertise in ecology with the needs of the Ukrainian military. The result was the creation of the Plastic Saves Lives initiative.

The project focuses on collecting plastic bottle caps. Vladyslav rallied a team of volunteers to sort through the donations, ensuring only plastic that could be sold for recycling made the cut. The funds raised are then directed toward purchasing essential equipment for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

The math is staggering: it takes 1.5 tons of plastic caps to fund a single FPV drone. Yet, the impact has been remarkable. Since its inception, Vladyslav Mykhailenko and his team have purchased a range of equipment, including an ambulance, two Mavic 3T drones, and three FPV drones, among other critical supplies.

The initiative invites everyone to participate. Individuals can drop off caps in Odesa or ship them to the volunteers via mail. 

For those who wish to connect with Vladyslav Mykhailenko, appointments can be arranged for online or in-person meetings. 

• ecology
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• Odesa

Ilias Sheikhisliamov, a Crimean Tatar and volunteer from the Odesa oblast, was born and raised in Crimea. After the russian occupation of the peninsula in 2014, he stayed there for another four years. Since 2019, he only visited Crimea in the summer to see his family.  Ilias met the beginning of the full-scale invasion abroad: he was studying at a university in Turkey. However, he soon decided to return to Ukraine to volunteer and support the Ukrainian army.

His professors discouraged him from returning, but he insisted and later came to Odesa. He immediately started working there and joined the NGO “Crimean Tatars of Odesa Oblast”. On March 5, 2024, Ilias learned that his father, Ali Mamutov, who was living with his family in occupied Crimea, had been arrested by the russian authorities. He learned the news from his younger brother. The occupiers falsely accused Ali Mamutov of participating in or creating a terrorist organization.

While his father was being held in a detention center in Simferopol, Ilias managed to communicate with him through the russian app Zonatelecom. However, Ali Mamutov was transferred to the russian city of Rostov, and communication with him was cut off. After his father’s arrest, Ilias decided to pursue his teenage dream of becoming a lawyer. He enrolled at the Tavrida National University, which had relocated to Kyiv after Crimea’s occupation. Ilias sees this as one of the ways to keep in touch with Crimea.

Ilias Sheikhisliamov is available for interviews, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

Background: As of May this year, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center recorded 331 cases of political imprisonment and criminal persecution since the annexation of Crimea. Of these, 217 were against members of the Crimean Tatar community.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• Odesa

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