373 children received food parcels this winter, with loads of fresh fruit and 73 sets of groceries delivered. To give longer-term solutions we are transitioning some children into our sponsorship and other programmes, with 5 families selected to start as soon as possible. And Covid didn’t stop us from spreading Christmas cheer through our volunteers’ Shrek-themed video.
In early January, before Ukrainian Christmas celebrations, we delivered food supplies to 56 families with a donation from the Dobrodiyiv Club. Every family we helped has their own story: a job lost, a child or parent severely ill, a struggling single parent, so there were many smiles and special thank yous as we made the deliveries.
When we met Anna, a widow with seven children, our team was impressed by how clean her small home is. Her family lives in a two room house with no running water and a leaking roof. Every day Anna carries 30 buckets of water to bathe the children and wash their clothes. Relatives help with some childcare, but since Anna’s husband died two years ago life has been difficult. If we can sponsor the children’s needs for education and essentials, install running water and fix the roof, this would dramatically improve everyday life for Anna and her children. It would mean the children can stay with their mother instead of living in institutional care. Please consider giving a small donation to help this family, every bit helps.
It was important to help families with food through the pandemic in 2020, as so many people had lost their income, and many of our events had to be adapted or cancelled. Delivering food gave us the opportunity to get to know many more families and learn about the challenges they face.
In 2021 we will introduce the families who need the most help and whose children have potential to benefit to our Sponsorship programme, so they have sustained help for essentials like food as well as support for their education. Our team will continue to support them with TOGETHER events for the children and advice for the parents. We believe this is the best way to reach our goals of no poverty, quality education and equal opportunities for the children as they grow up. Your donations can make this possible.
You can see our Christmas show, with the on-screen premier of our much loved clowns Chupa and Chupsa on this link. Though we weren’t able to visit children in institutions and many families who we usually bring together, our volunteers showed that we are still there for them and we could share some laughs.
We want to thank all of the sponsors and partners who supported families in crisis, and all the volunteers who helped with transport, deliveries, and the creation of the video. We believe that with your support we will be able to do a lot of good in 2021!
If you can, please donate to give Anna and other families in crisis the sponsorship, fun activities and practical help they need. Thank you.
