Themes by tag: volunteers

Oksana Pohomii, a volunteer and a Kherson City Council member, waited for the city to be liberated from the Russian invaders throughout the occupation. She also helped those who were going through hard times with her. She even managed to post videos from the occupied city.  Now Oksana Pohomii continues to stay in Kherson, ready to talk to the media about the mood of the city, people’s self-organization, readiness for evacuation, etc.

• volunteers
• Kherson

Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform to host an event dedicated “Culture vs. War” project about Ukrainian artists at war and the first documentary film about the ANTYTILA band release

Speakers:

• Iryna Borovets, Director General for Public Diplomacy and Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
•  Marco Ferraro, program manager at the EU Delegation to Ukraine
•  Andrii Rizol, project producer
•  Alina Krasnianska, executive producer of the series of documentaries

•  Taras Topolia, the “Antytila” band leader
•  Serhii Vusyk, the “Antytila” band manager and musician
•  Dmytro Zholud, the “Antytila” band guitarist

In-person attendance of all participants.

The Culture vs. War project tells the world about the values of Ukrainian culture through the stories of artists who left their everyday lives and creative ambitions to defend the country. A key component of the project is a series of documentaries where Ukrainian musicians, filmmakers, writers, photographers, and other cultural figures are the main protagonists telling about this war through their own stories and memories.

Accreditation is mandatory. 

• culture
• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Kateryna Semenyuk from Lutsk became a volunteer and military chaplain after russia’s full-scale invasion. At first, Kateryna helped to collect aid for Ukrainians from abroad, then she began making trips to the de-occupied territories. And now she regularly visits the frontline. With her husband Serhii, Kateryna is raising five children, the youngest son, Luka, was born on February 24, 2022, the day when russia began its full-scale invasion.

For reference: Military chaplains are priests who combine their ecclesiastical rank with other activities. A chaplain can be a citizen of Ukraine with a higher theological education who is a part of clergy of a church or religious organization registered in Ukraine. They must also obtain a mandate from their own church for the right to perform chaplaincy.

• religion
• volunteers

Building Ukraine Together NGO in cooperation with military personnel of the 126^th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade is organizing a camp to set up the Military Leadership Center in Odesa. In June and July, 150 volunteers from all over the country will work in the camp. First volunteers are expected to arrive on June 4.

The Military Leadership Center is to become a space for informal education of current and future officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, military management, command formation, military history and cyber security will be taught there. The military of NATO countries, Israeli officers and representatives of combat units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are to be involved in the work of the Center.

• reconstruction
• volunteers

The independent volunteer art collective Spilka started drilling a well in the village of Korolivka, Makariv district, Kyiv Oblasts, on May 30. This village was heavily damaged during the fighting in February-March 2022. The drilling of the well is one of the stages of the project to help the village community: the hospital reconstruction, partially damaged by explosions, was the project’s first phase. Another stage will be constructing a bomb shelter at the Korolivka Lyceum. Currently, students cannot attend the institution having no shelter.

For reference: Spilka is an independent volunteer collective of artists based in New York, Paris and Kyiv. Spilka’s activities are focused on raising funds through artistic, cultural and sporting events in the cities of its main base.

• culture
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Journalists are invited to join the Volunteer Day at the environmentally responsible hot meal preparation and distribution center Dobra Kuchniya in Kharkiv on June 2. Each participant can volunteer at the soup kitchen and prepare meals for 800 Saltivka industrial district residents. 

Accreditation lasts until May 30, inclusive. Journalists from Kyiv will be provided with a transfer to and from Kharkiv.

For reference: Saltivka is a Kharkiv residential area to suffer the most from Russian shelling. More than half of the buildings there were damaged.

• food
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

On May 27-28, volunteers of “Brave to Rebuild” project will clear the rubble of the buildings destroyed as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion. They will work in Irpin, Horenka, Hostomel (Kyiv region).

For reference: Brave to Rebuild volunteer project’s mission is to help residents of the de-occupied territories of Ukraine to restore housing and social institutions damaged as a result of the russian federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Volunteers from Europe, the U.S., Canada and Australia also join the relief effort.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Native Crimean woman, Yulia became the founder of the volunteer project “Stepanivski bees” in Vinnytsia region. During the full-scale invasion, people, who are willing to help, cook food to hand it over to the soldiers at the front. A production site was set up in the abandoned premises of the kindergarten. Both local residents and refugees work there to make delicious home-made dishes for the defenders (lamb shurpa, cabbage rolls, grains with meat and much more). Food is delivered in retort pouches, which are convenient for defenders at the front.

When russia occupied Crimea, Yulia had to leave her native peninsula.

In December 2022, her husband Volodymyr, who had been defending the country, died in the battles for Bakhmut.

• food
• military
• volunteers
• Vinnytsia

“Dobrobat,” volunteer building division, is holding charity auctions as a part of the “Art of Invincibility” project. The proceeds will be used for materials and equipment required for the reconstruction of the Khortytsia National Educational and Rehabilitation Academy. The educational institution was significantly damaged as a result of a rocket attack by the occupiers in October of last year. “Dobrobat” intends to restore the premises of the academy.

The remains of russian rockets and ammunition, which have been turned into art objects, will be sold off at a charity auction. The lots include works by professional artists, amateurs and children from different regions of Ukraine. The auction will last until May 31.

• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers

Sergiy Ivanchuk, a well-known Ukrainian opera singer, an entrepreneur and a volunteer became the brand ambassador of the national program #SaveTheLimb of “Health of the Ukrainian People” foundation. The main goal is to reduce the number of Ukrainians, who become disabled due to injuries to the limbs, received as a result of the war.

Cooperation with the foundation became a personal matter for the man, since Sergiy was attacked by russian saboteurs. He received 5 bullet wounds, spent 16 days in intensive care and survived.

The singer has organized the first fundraising campaign on his Instagram page, where he is giving away 10 Forbes magazines with the autographs by blogger Lachen (Igor Lachenkov) and 30 prominent Ukrainian figures. To enter the giveaway one must make a donation to #SaveTheLimb program. The goal is to raise funds for high-quality surgeries and rehabilitation for 20 soldiers.

For reference: From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, opera singer Sergiy Ivanchuk became a volunteer. During the first days of the war, he evacuated residents of Kharkiv and Sumy regions. He took out about a hundred people from the regions affected by the russian invasion.

During one of the trips, on March 10, 2022, a car with a volunteer and civilians came under saboteurs’ fire. Serhii was seriously injured. After 12 surgeries in Ukraine he continued his rehabilitation in Germany.

The man was included into Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list of young Ukrainians who will influence the future of their industries.

• casualties
• volunteers