During winter time our Holy Ascension community was not only caroling, preparing Verteps and hosting guests, but also was working to assist Ukraine.

During the December-February period we have collected a large amount of humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine – there were 23 packages collected weighing 1562,3 pounds (approximately 708kg).

We were able to send the aid to the following recipients:

1) A municipal institution “Center of Social and Psychological Children Rehabilitation” of Kirovograd Regional Council;

2) A Crisis Center for temporary accommodation of mothers and their children named “Mother Home” which is situated in Vinnytsia region. (volunteer founder  is  Olga Cherevatova);

3) A house of volunteer help for mothers and children  «The Path to Home»,  situated in Odessa region, which is taken care of by a volunteer already known in our community – Marta Levchenko  (The Charity fund  «I am the future of Ukraine»);

4) Holy Pokrovsk parish, the city of Pokrovs’k in Donetsk region (the front zone) the prior – father Oleksandr Soldatenko;

5) Families of Ukrainian veterans and militaries, families of perished and captivated defenders of Ukraine (the confidant is volunteer Oksana Chervonaya);

6) Families in need cared for by priests of the Kropyvnytskaya diocese of Kirovograd region;

7) Adults and children with special needs (cared for by the priest Mykhailo Nidzelsky, from Novovolynsk);

8) A charity home for accommodation of single elderly outcast people which is situated in the “grey area”. Serhiy, the Bishop of Donetsk and Mariupol region takes care of these people.

The community has collected many useful and very necessary things: personal care products (creams, shampoos, soaps, gels, wet wipes, etc.); diapers and napkins, clothes; footwear; toys; vitamins and various products for taking care of sick people; sweets; baby food and a lot of other staff very useful for people who are unable to buy these things. We also send gifts and our aid with the aim to express our respect, love and support to the families of the defenders of our Ukraine.

On behalf of our wards, we convey our gratitude to all those who support the charity mission at the Holy Ascension Parish. We are supported not only by Ukrainians.  Immigrants from other countries who sympathize Ukrainian children and outcast people with all their hearts and souls also become our friends. Among those who help and actively support charity on a regular basis are: Marina Williams (originally from Rostov, Russia) who together with her mother donated a huge amount of diapers for adults; Vivien from Asia purchases diapers, clothes, sweets and personal care products for children on a monthly basis; this month we were joined by Natalia Kalmikova  (originally from our neighbor country Moldova) whose aid was given to our military soldiers’ children and  to those who are in need.

But the greatest amount of help was collected thanks to our Ukrainians, who concern about Ukraine and are struggling to help their mother country. And every time more and more wonderful and kind people join us. This month we were joined by the students of Souks Passaic – a kindergarten from the “Ukrainian Studies School” (tutor  Mrs. Maryna Havrylchuk).

In order for our aid to be of benefit and arrive to the right destination, we ask all the recipients to provide us with the information about receiving and using the aid as assigned. We get the most response from: the volunteer who takes care of the families of the militaries – Oksana Chervonaya ; the tutor of the children rehabilitation center – Snizhana Strembitska.

Every time the children of this center receive our parcels, they organize fashion shows wearing new clothes, we can see them gladly posing and sending their greetings and gratitude to our community. The families of militaries also show their gratitude for our help by taking and sending photos whenever possible.

As requested by Oksana Chervonaya, we have collected and sent our aid to the family of the dead military Vadim Harti. He has a wife with two sons and mother at retirement age who had lost her another son left, this woman has to take care of her two small grandchildren because their mother does not care for them.

A friend of our parish Mrs. Theodora Pilchar  has made a gift to this family and four boys have received sporting equipment for playing table tennis.

It is very important that our mission brings together a great number of wonderful people who become our friends, and all together we do something that brings people’s faith in good back and gives hope for tomorrow.

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