Reaching out to Ukraine

When shelling began in her village, this young mother (pictured above)* was among many who quickly evacuated to central Ukraine. “What can you gather in such a panic, when your hands are shaking from fear?” she said. “A pack of diapers, some baby clothes, documents in an old backpack” are what she managed to take along for herself and her child.

She found a place to stay and was grateful to be away from the horrors of war, but her needs were substantial. Your generosity provided her with food and household items. “[The comforter] is wonderful,” she said. “When the war ends, I will take it home with me!”

Pavel,* the director of MCC partner All Ukrainian Platform for the Improvement of Society (KECB) in Kharkiv, Ukraine, shared his thanks:

“Those who do not have enough food or have run out of money to buy the food, they are coming to [KECB] and we serve food to them. We are preparing food every day — you have given to our hands something that we can provide to other people.”

Thank you for giving to the people of Ukraine and meeting their immediate needs during this crisis. Your donations shared hope and love in the midst of suffering.

(*Full names in this update are withheld for security reasons.)

It takes many hands and hearts to get items to people in a conflict zone. MCC typically ships containers of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian seaport of Odesa. That port was not available after the conflict began, but our partners were not deterred! Instead, MCC shipped containers to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Then the containers were loaded onto trucks that travelled through Germany and Poland to western Ukraine. Pictured, MCC relief supplies were unloaded in July at a warehouse in Nikopol, Ukraine, after their long journey.

When medications were no longer available in Kharkiv, our partner KECB ordered them from suppliers in the city of Dnipro and travelled 200 km to collect them. The medications were shared with people living with diabetes, asthma, epilepsy and other serious health conditions. Your incredible outpouring of support helped make this life-saving effort possible. Pictured, a KECB project manager brought medication to a nursing home resident in July.

These are just a few of the many ways our amazing network of supporters, volunteers and partner organizations made it possible to relieve people’s suffering and offer hope.

In November – without electricity, water or heat – MCC partner Step with Hope held food distributions, group counselling and children’s therapy in a windowless underground passage. They hung a poster of a window to brighten the space. Step with Hope is meeting the psychological and practical needs of displaced people, helping those who experienced shelling survive the trauma and adapt to their new reality.

MCC is so grateful to all who are contributing to these ministries. Together, we are able to share the love of Christ and help people feel less alone in their suffering.