Themes by tag: volunteers

Iryna and Viktor, from Kryvyi Rih, met at paramedic courses after the start of the full-scale invasion. The couple has not been apart since.

Together, Viktor and Iryna began evacuating wounded soldiers and civilians from the front lines. For two years, the volunteers traveled from one hotspot to another. Viktor proposed to Iryna during shelling in Avdiivka, when the city was still under Ukrainian control.

Last year, the Mironovs founded the Ukrainian Brotherhood NGO, which raises money for vehicles, drones, and electronic warfare systems for the military. When the couple is in Kryvyi Rih, they assist rescuers at the sites of enemy attacks, helping to clear debris and pull people from the ruins. They say their real day off will come after victory.

Iryna and Viktor Mironov are in Kryvyi Rih. The volunteers are ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline.

• casualties
• volunteers
• evacuation

For three months, the OZON monitoring group of the Center for Civil Liberties together with UAnimals inspected shelters in various Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. And now they are ready to present the results. To do this, they are organizing an event called “Accessible Shelter — Life Safety!”

On October 2 in Kyiv, attendees will see not only the presentation of the shelter inspection results, but also a performance that will vividly demonstrate how simple actions — like opening a door or marking the way to a shelter — can save lives.

Prior accreditation is required.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

Social Drone UA is a community of volunteers assembling FPV drones for the military. Anyone can join the Social Drone initiative to build drones. All you have to do is buy the parts yourself and follow the instructions on the website to assemble them properly. Currently, the initiative unites 1617 participants who have assembled at least 1 drone, 70 members of the test team, and many others.

Each assembled drone undergoes a thorough flight test. This helps identify factory defects in components, assembly errors, soldering issues, and more. Up to 2,500 drones are tested each month, and since the initiative began, volunteers have delivered 14,732 drones to the military.

Journalists have an opportunity to cover the initiative in Kyiv.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

The Murashky charity organization officially launched in Kyiv in September 2022, but its story began much earlier. A group of dedicated volunteers came together to support the Armed Forces immediately after russia’s full-scale invasion. Just two weeks later, the newly formed team, dubbed “Murashky” (Little Ants), delivered its first batch of biscuits and dried meat to the front lines. By spring, they had acquired the necessary equipment and established their first production facility.

Today, the team produces and delivers over 30,000 servings of food each month to Ukrainian soldiers. Since its inception, Murashky has produced over 4,000 liters of anti-cold mixtures, more than 230,000 servings of biscuits, and over 360,000 servings of dry meals.

The organization’s workforce consists of 15 to 25 volunteers who dedicate their time daily, often joined by international supporters who pitch in to help the cause.

• food
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On September 22, a new shift of the construction camp organized by the NGO “Building Ukraine Together” began. Volunteers are creating a youth space in the Ladan settlement hromada, Chernihiv oblast.  Many foreigners joined this new shift.

For example, Ayami came to Ukraine from Japan because she believes that Ukrainians have a very strong spirit. Mykola came from Kazakhstan to volunteer. He used to work in IT, but decided to join the camp because he wanted to do something with his own hands, not just donate.

Also volunteering in the Chernihiv oblast are Maurizio, who came from Italy, and Duarte from Portugal.

For reference: The volunteer construction camp is carried out with the support of Razom.

“Building Ukraine Together” is a non-governmental organization that promotes trust and responsibility among Ukrainian youth and encourages their participation in the development of a democratic Ukraine.

• volunteers
• Chernihiv

On September 26, Lviv residents are invited to take part in the 19th Red Brunch Donor Day, an initiative led by the Yanina Sokolova Foundation to gather blood donations for Ukrainian military personnel. 

The event aims to save lives while promoting a culture of responsible donation across the country. 

For reference: Since 2019, the Foundation has been breaking down stereotypes surrounding blood donation by hosting Red Brunches at major offices, hotels, and hubs. These events feature refreshments, networking opportunities, and incentive gifts for participants. To date, 2,887 donors have contributed, helping to save over 9,156 lives.

• volunteers
• Lviv

At the age of 17, Ivan lost the ability to walk due to an accident. However, he did not lose his desire to live a full life. He learned to ride a bicycle, drive a car and started doing charity work in his home village in the Ternopil region. Among other things, he helped renovate the local stadium and put up tourist signs.

When the full-scale invasion began, Ivan focused his efforts on supporting the Ukrainian military. Together with other villagers, Ivan managed to raise about 10 million hryvnia for the needs of the defense forces. The volunteer purchased drones, anti-drone guns, charging stations, vehicles, and many other things needed by the soldiers. Today, Ivan continues his volunteer work, raising funds for FPV drones and a relay station.

• volunteers
• Ternopil

Irena Danysh is an American with Ukrainian roots. She has traveled the world teaching English in various countries. She first visited Ukraine in 2003, and in 2022 she left Seattle and moved to Lviv. Irena says she wasn’t afraid of the war because she had worked extensively with humanitarian organizations and understood that Lviv was quite safe.

The American got a job as a teacher at one of the higher education institutions. She also volunteers at a charity working with young people. Irena says she feels not only American, but also Ukrainian, and plans to continue living in Ukraine.

For reference: You can talk with Irena Danysh online. On November 17, the American will return to Ukraine and will be available for offline meetings.

• volunteers
• women
• Lviv

September building camps organized by the NGO Building Ukraine Together are underway in Ukraine. Volunteers from different parts of the country and the world are helping to strengthen communities.

For example, in one of the communities in the Chernihiv region (located near the de-occupied territories and hosting a large number of people fleeing russian aggression), volunteers are creating a youth space. (Volunteers from the United States, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Italy will join the upcoming shifts).

In the Sumy region, volunteers are setting up a shelter. (Volunteers from the United States, Australia, and Poland will soon be working there. Currently, there is a volunteer from Germany.)

In the Kirovohrad region a museum room is being created. There will be exhibits telling the history of the community and the russian-Ukrainian war. (A volunteer from the United States is also currently working there.)

These volunteer building camps are organized with the support of Razom.

Journalists have the opportunity to cover the activities of the BUT camps by prior arrangement.

For reference: Building Ukraine Together is a public organization that promotes trust and responsibility among Ukrainian youth and encourages their participation in the development of a democratic Ukraine. To achieve this, they work with communities and activists to implement socially important projects.

• volunteers

British students Finley and Charlie have begun a 2,000 km bike tour from London to the Ukrainian border, with a final stop in Chełm, Poland. The duo is riding to raise funds for Voices of Children, a charity supporting Ukrainian children affected by the war. 

Their journey, which started on August 20, is expected to take 20 days. All donations will go directly to the charity.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Finley online for more information.

• children
• volunteers