Despite the Harsh Circumstances, Our Work in Ukraine Continues
Summer is normally a time during which we all slow down, but that is not the case for us. Because of the continuous drone and rocket attacks, the level of hardship amongst the population remains high. Meanwhile, we are entering the fifth summer of war. It still feels very surreal.
Almost every night, Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, is facing rocket and drone attacks. But also in other major cities, the air raid alarm goes off. Recently, a large warehouse and vehicles of the Red Cross in Kyiv were destroyed. In Odesa, in another attack, a large bus company went up in flames. In Zaporizhzhia, a drone exploded near the house of rabbi Ehrentreu.
“Almost every night Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, is facing rocket and drone attacks”
In an e-mail he wrote to us:
“I would like to let you know that we had a very tough night. During the attacks a residential building near our house was hit twice. The explosions were very powerful and all window pains in our house were smashed. Both inside and outside of our house there is considerable damage.”
“Baruch Hashem, our family is safe and we are incredibly grateful for it. However, it was a very frightening experience and the damage is severe. These are difficult times for our community and we’ll keep doing our best to stay strong and to support the people around us.”
“Thank you so much for your continuous care, commitment and concern. Your friendship and kindness mean a lot to us, especially at moments like these.”
The list of affected areas is endless, and the end of the war is still a long way off.
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Still, there are also some rays of hope, and there is surely something positive to report. We have been busy off late with packing and distributing food parcels. Here, as well as in other places, temperatures are running high. Fortunately, we have a cool storage where we can pack our food parcels. The walls are thick, so every time the air raid alarm goes off, we know where to hide.
“Still, there are also some rays of hope and there is surely something positive to report”
With our volunteers, we pack some 1,300 food parcels in each session. That amounts to over 13,000 kgs of food. We cross the country with full lorries. The gratitude and joy we see on people’s faces are indescribable.
There is a great demand for food parcels and food vouchers in Ukraine, especially in areas where the Russian Army advances slowly but surely. Therefore, we hope to be able to pack and hand out 5,200 more food parcels as well as 5,000 food vouchers. These vouchers enable people to obtain essential provisions and give them the feeling that they are not forgotten and that they are being looked after.
But the main thing is that we are allowed to continue this grateful work, amidst difficult wartime conditions, under His blessing for Jewish elderly, poor and internal refugees who are in need.
Would you like to contribute to our work in Ukraine and give thousands of people new hope and courage? Your support makes a big difference. One food parcel costs NZ $26 each. To donate, click here!
