Supporting Ukrainian Refugees
Today marks a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tomorrow night (25th Feb) we will have a fundraising concert to support the church and its work with Ukrainian refugees in Bucharest. As many of you will know, earlier this year we received a grant from the Diocese in Europe and USPG - this has enabled us to make a real difference to the lives of many Ukrainians, helping with food and accommodation, school resources and medical supplies. As a church community, we are immensely grateful to Madeleine, who is co-ordinating this work: she has written the update below to give you a sense of what we have been able to achieve so far. If you would like to be involved, please get in touch.
Dear all,
I’m Madeleine and since January I’ve been coordinating the implementation of the grant money which has so kindly been given to us by the Diocese in Europe and USPG.
Since receiving the grant, the amount of aid which we have been able to provide to Ukrainians in Bucharest has increased so much! Our programme focuses on basic human needs, but with circumstances changing constantly, our programme is varied enough to be able to support in multiple aspects - helping to alleviate added stress from the day to day life of Ukrainians here.
So far we have been able to:
- Pay for a cataracts operation for Adam, an elderly gentleman from Mykolaiv.
- Provide medicine and preparatory resources for a pregnant lady soon to give birth.
- Restock resources at the Ukrainian school we support in Buftea.
- Send three large food orders to the Buftea accommodation.
- Provide around 20 families with basic hygiene items.
- Make several individual resource deliveries to struggling mothers with children and a lady, Galina, who is in a serious condition with terminal cancer.
- Provide clothing, bedding and suitcases to struggling individuals.
Perhaps the most enriching aspect of getting the grant so far has been its ability to unite the congregation of the church as volunteers with a joint cause. A system has been created whereby members of the church sign up to fulfil different tasks which are posted on our Whatsapp group each week. These tasks use the money from the budget to help those in need by running shopping errands, translating at medical appointments, helping with driving, among other tasks.
Please pray that we are able to continue this outreach and impact the lives of the Ukrainians in need, here in Bucharest.
"Even when material needs are urgent, we still need human connection so I'm really glad we have this opportunity to meet the people we're helping. The language barrier is nothing compared to that joy." - Monica, COTR volunteer
Children at the school we support with resources in Buftea, just north of Bucharest.
Adam - A Ukrainian man in his 70s really needed our help to get a safe cataracts operation. He was very worried due to problems with a previous operation in Ukraine. We sent a translator with him to make the process easier. He is so thankful to the church for this procedure which went as well as it could. The pension he receives from Ukraine would not be enough for him to pay for this treatment himself.
COTR volunteer David offered to drive and help collect hygiene products and school resources for women and children at the Buftea accommodation - being supported by grant money.
Weekly food orders loaded up weekly and sent to Buftea accommodation - helping to feed around 40 people with basic food items.