Travelogue: A Week in Ukraine With LHI

by Shannon Ashton, LHI Board Member

Flags bearing the names of fallen Ukranian soldiers in Independence Square, Kyiv.

February 12, 2024

Chisinau, Moldova

I’m on a bus from Moldova to Ukraine in support of crisis relief in the ongoing war in Ukraine. We’ll cross the border in just a little while. I’ll be all over the country documenting relief efforts and capturing stories from the front lines. This trip doesn’t come without risks so prayers for our team are gratefully accepted. 

February 15, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

We could hear a soft voice floating through the misty, cold night air in Odesa. A few people scattered on mostly empty benches. An attempt at normal life. Barbed wires and hedgehogs stand guard and nearby prized monuments are covered and sandbagged. We stop and listen. The music glides through the foggy night as a brave act of hope.

February 16, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

Vadim’s Odesa flat was destroyed by a drone attack two weeks ago. When he heard the siren he ushered his mother out of their first floor flat down to safety in a more secure spot on the ground floor of the building. That move surely saved their lives. Vadim, a young twenty-something, is a member of the LHI team working in Ukraine. He carries on—going to work and helping others. He quietly shared the news of his flat, and generously offered to allow us to visit, with permission to share. The trauma is fresh. No roof. Rubble covers everything, and what remains stands still in time. His neighbour across the hall was saved only because she was in the shower, literally the only space in her flat not completely destroyed. Vadim’s resilience and strength is incredibly inspiring. He even manages to crack a few smiles. I honestly don’t know how.  He is in a temporary shelter as he awaits an assessment to know if his building will be condemned, like so many countless others.  This happened just two weeks ago. The war is not over.

February 18, 2024

Kyiv, Ukraine

People here are trying to live their lives as best they can, but signs of war are everywhere. Very few spaces in Kyiv are without some reminder of war. Whether it’s blown out windows, pitted building walls, the darkened streets at night (curfews run across the country), minefield warnings, air raid sirens, sandbagged statues, sounds of explosions, the evidence of war goes on and on. Mostly it’s the long look of war on the faces of the people we meet. We chat to a few, they are curious about our American accents and why we’re here (no one is coming here). We’re met with warmth and gratitude for our support, but the trauma of war is written all over their faces. The men cannot leave the country. Many of age are already fighting. Those who aren’t wait for their call. Or maybe conscription will get to them first. We enjoy a nice meal; restaurants are open. The main courses come with a side of air raid sirens. War is relentless. And this is life in Kyiv, currently better off than what is going on in eastern Ukraine, where we go next.

February 19, 2024

Kharkiv, Ukraine

During our two days in Kharkiv the sirens were nearly nonstop. I’m so rattled by this experience. A missile struck the city while we were visiting program centers in nearby villages. There is no knowing when or where the strikes will come. We heard mines go off; every piece of earth is a minefield now. And with all this, your nervous system begins an internal battle. And in these eastern frontline locations the missile defense system is almost nonexistent. There is no time for detection or deployment as it’s too close to the source, Russia mere kilometres away. I was overcome with worry and anxiety as we settled into our accommodations for the night. The doubt and fear that creeps in when the sirens ring out. Where to go. What to do. This all layered on top of sleep deprivation. It’s psychological warfare. And I only have to deal with it for one week here. For those living in Ukraine it’s become a way of life. Reminders of war are everywhere as destruction lies in the dark wake of war. There is a resolute determination I find uniquely Ukrainian that completely overwhelms me. I feel so fragile here. 

A local artist gifted a heartbreaking painting to LHI. It represents the horrors of this war. Two years and still no end in sight.

To find out more about LHI’s programs in Ukraine, or to donate to keep those programs running, visit the Ukraine page on our website.

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Volunteer Spotlight: Nikita

by Nikita Posvolskii , LHI Humanitarian Warehouse Volunteer

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita helps to translate box labels into Ukranian.

LHI works because of people like our LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita. Nikita is an exchange college student from Russia. He shared this essay explaining his interest in helping LHI’s humanitarian aid efforts, especially those in Ukraine. 

My name is Nikita. Two years ago I was a Russian student getting my undergraduate degree at a university in Moscow. My peers and I loved our country and planned to pursue our careers there. Although we clearly saw our current government's flaws, we believed that we could influence them to change the country we love for the better. Our faith began to weaken after the Russian government started expelling students from their universities for their beliefs and statements that didn’t align with those of the government.

The situation for idealistic students like me became even worse the day Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Saying anything against the war in Ukraine can get you 15 years of imprisonment for “discrediting the Armed Forces of Russia.” You can’t even call the war in Ukraine “the war in Ukraine” without being at risk because its official name in Russia is “special military operation.” If you name it “the war” you can get the same 15 years of jail time. In fact, in the first two months after Russia started the war, more than 15,000 Russians were detained for their connection with anti-war rhetoric and protests. This placed fear in Russian citizens, coercing them into silence for the sake of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. At the same time, it is a horrible feeling to sit and maintain silence when your own country invaded Ukrainian territory and occupied an independent country. It is hard to stay silent when you are against a war that has resulted in the death and displacement of ordinary Ukrainians. 

My feelings of helplessness eased in August 2022 when I came to the U.S. as an exchange student. It’s been amazing to study at a university where students are not afraid to talk about what they really think and believe in. I quickly realized that in the U.S., I could help Ukrainian refugees both in my host community in Utah and in Ukraine itself.

Nikita helps gather materials to set up an apartment for a refugee family resettling in Utah.

My search for the opportunity to help Ukrainians whose lives have been impacted by the Russian invasion led me to the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse in American Fork, Utah. 

I enjoy volunteering with LHI and helping to organize the warehouse, setting up apartments for refugees, especially those from Ukraine, packing orders for shipments overseas, and so much more. I especially enjoy translating the contents of the donation boxes into Ukrainian so it’s easier for Ukrainians to understand what is in each box when they arrive in Ukraine. I’m happy to be here in the U.S. so that I can help. In Russia, providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians is punishable by law. 

Nikita organizes shelves of aid that LHI includes in its international shipments.

I believe that it is important to help people who have lost their families and their homes. I am glad that I have found Lifting Hands International, an organization whose ideals match my own. Lifting Hands International exists and continues its work to change the world for the better. If you are a student in the American Fork area or just live there, I highly encourage you to get involved with LHI and make an impact to change someone's life. Let’s change our world and help those who are in need together!

LHI Looks Back on 2023

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI’s COO Walker, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and Founder and Director Hayley distributed aid to survivors of the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria in February.

Looking back over the past year, we cannot believe all you have helped us to do! Here are the highlights!

The LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece

LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron and founder of our Utah programs Carlissa lent some elbow grease to improvement projects at the LHI Community Center in Serres.

It was a year of continued growth and innovation at the LHI Community Center, which is located near two refugee camps in Serres, Greece. The LHI Greece team was thrilled to receive new computers for the education program and new shelving for the community center’s aid warehouse. After talking with the women who attend programs at the Female Friendly Space, the team also adjusted the way we distribute clothing, school supplies, baby items and other aid. Instead of handing out parcels, the team instead created “free shops” where beneficiaries can select their own items. This small change not only provides people with a sense of dignity, but also brings a lot of excitement and joy.

The LHI Greece team set up a free shop where parents could shop for baby items including these handmade teddy bears.

utah programs

LHI team members and volunteers loaded this container of aid for Jordan in October.

Our Utah team prepared and shipped 18 containers of material aid to places like Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees living in a large refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar were impacted by a fire in March, Afghanistan, where 6.6 million people have been internally displaced by conflict and natural disasters, and Gaza, where over 80% of the population has been displaced. The team also sent 7 shipments to the US/Mexico border to help shelters there provide warm clothing, hygiene products, and baby kits to migrants.

The US Office for Refugee Resettlement provides local resettlement agencies with a list of items that must be in apartments of resettled refugees. If the items aren't donated, they must be purchased from the family's small stipend. LHI's Utah team relies on donations from you to keep our warehouse stocked so that we can provide all the items resettled refugees need!

The Welcome Program has grown so much that we had to expand our warehouse! So far this year, LHI volunteers have set up 285 apartments for refugees resettling in Utah. And, in addition to our long-standing partnerships with the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services, LHI is now working with Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection to make sure that resettled refugees in Logan, Utah come home to an apartment furnished with everything they need.

ukraine

The battery powered incubators you helped us provide put to good use at Bashtanka Hospital in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

Last year, we asked you to help us get Ukrainians through a cold and uncertain winter and you responded! We were able to provide generators, battery powered infant incubators, sleeping bags and long underwear throughout Ukraine. Our teams in Ukraine have also been able to get consistent material, medical and psychological aid to frontline communities all year long.

LHI's Ukraine country director Serhii (center) organized LHI's response to the dam collapse, including finding this truck which pumped thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses.

When the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson province ruptured in June, our teams responded not only by helping those displaced from their homes, but also by pumping thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses. 

Moldova

Participants in the Story Time Project performed some of the Ukranian folk tales they had read for family and friends!

Looking back on all the work our Moldova team has done with Ukrainian refugees, it is hard to believe that our community center in Balti and our Storytime Project are not even a year old! Both programs provide social emotional support activities for participants and keep Ukrainian language and culture alive.

Children at the LHI Community Center in Balti participate in a yoga class, part of the social emotional supports offered to Ukrainian refugees.

jordan

LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith toured one of the modular classrooms LHI was able to build for Syrian refugee children in Jordan.

In Jordan, it’s all about kids and kids! The first set of kids are the Syrian refugee children who have benefitted from the 3 modular classrooms we built this year. Because Jordanian schools are already at capacity, building classrooms means that Syrian children can attend school. 

This family turned the 2 milk goats they received from LHI into a herd of 25 in just 2 years!

The second set of kids are the 1,200 Shami milk goats we have distributed to Syrian refugee families. The families who benefited had been goat herders in Syria, but had to leave their herds behind when they fled civil war. Having milk goats allows these families to improve their family’s nutrition and move towards self-sufficiency as they sell milk and grow their herd. One family we visited this year had turned the two milk goats they received two years ago into 25! The income they earned from goat milk and goat products allowed them to leave the refugee camp and rent a home. 

emergency response

LHI's COO Walker distributed aid to an earthquake survivor in Turkey.

LHI specializes in responding to emergency situations quickly, talking to the people impacted, and finding out what they most need. In February, we were able to assist both Turkish and Syrian people impacted by earthquakes by providing medical and psychological first aid, hygiene kits, and food packages. 

LHI responded to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza quickly, finding partners on the ground to help us source aid and get it to civilians who need it in Gaza.

In October, we arrived in Egypt and got right to work finding the right partners to help us get aid to the over one million people displaced in the Gaza Strip. We established a partnership with the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) who helped us get food and medicine into Gaza.

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Whether you are an LHI volunteer or a donor, whether you’ve tied blankets or assembled hygiene kits for a service project, or whether you are a partner or a grant provider, you are a part of our team. Thank you for your support this year. We look forward to working together again in 2024 to meet needs around the world. No politics. Simply humanitarian.

Building Community and Strengthening Bonds at the LHI Ukraine Capacity Building Conference

by Ihor Tereshchenko, LHI Ukraine Partnership Manager

Even baby Mark, the smallest representative from our operating centers across Ukraine, came out for LHI's second capacity-building conference in Lviv, Ukraine!

Did you know that LHI has 7 operating centers all across Ukraine? Our teams at each operating center have figured out ways to best support fellow Ukrainians and deliver humanitarian aid. On September 21-24, LHI held its second capacity-building conference, bringing together representatives from our operating centers as well as from our Moldova program to learn from each other, share best practices, and engage in wellness activities.

LHI has 7 operating centers in Ukraine. Representatives from each center came to Lviv for our second capacity-building conference.

Ihor, LHI’s Partnership Manager in Ukraine, shared this recap of the conference. Ihor joined LHI in August after working for the Ukrainian Red Cross. Thank you, Ihor, for sharing!

A Balanced Blend

The conference achieved a harmonious balance between sharing and learning, and created a safe space for forming and deepening interpersonal relationships. Participants benefited from rich content and expert insights through workshops on ways to efficiently and effectively manage humanitarian work, fundraising, and establishing and maintaining a social media presence.

Ihor helps representatives from one of our operating center share best practices.

The event also facilitated wellness sessions, such as art therapy, meditation, and a tea ceremony. Relationships were formed and strengthened through sharing professional and personal experiences, and paved the way for future collaborative projects.

Conference participants recharged with art therapy.

Conference participants, many of whom work on the front lines or with people who have evacuated from the front lines, take a moment for meditation and self-care.

Relaxing and enjoying a tea ceremony.

Attendees gave the conference rave reviews!

Personal feedback from attendees underscored the event's success in addressing their diverse needs. The agenda was particularly commended for its relevance and thoughtful structure. The practical workshops stood out as valuable, offering hands-on experience that participants could apply directly to their work. Jaron, LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation  said, “I think this conference is one of the most valuable elements of our capacity-building support for Ukrainian humanitarian teams. Our focus on the well-being of our partners, and providing opportunities for learning and growth, greatly improves the ability of our aid workers to give meaningful support to those most in need. Plus, the new collaborative relationships (and new friendships!) between Ukrainians from all corners of the country will continue long into the future.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley captures this moment of collaboration and connection.

Networking and collaboration opportunities were hailed as pivotal aspects of the conference. LHI Moldova’s Roman said, “Joining the conference with the LHI Moldova team, we got to know many of the people and projects in Lviv for the very first time - and what a truly beautiful and impressive experience that was! These interactions contributed significantly to the sense of community among attendees and created a platform for potential future initiatives.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and COO Walker say a fond farewell to Ukrainian team members.

Hayley, LHI’s founder and director, reflected: “Spending quality time with our Ukrainian team members was so wonderful! I loved seeing our teams from different regions of Ukraine come together, away from the frontlines. Our team members work so hard, some in very dangerous situations, and this conference was a great opportunity to thank them face to face!”

Most of all, the conference left our teams in Ukraine refreshed, inspired, and feeling united in our mission. Ukraine country director Serhii said, “LHI’s leadership and our friends can be far away; still, our hearts feel no distance. Our bonds will strengthen while we help Ukrainians together, and our conference was a great chance to meet face-to-face, share our experiences, and brainstorm new projects.”

A Testament to the Power of Collaboration

The LHI Partners Conference 2023 surpassed expectations, offering a comprehensive and enriching experience. It equipped participants with knowledge, skills, and valuable connections necessary for advancing their humanitarian missions. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration and shared commitment to making a positive global impact through humanitarian efforts.

If you’d like to learn more about our humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine and Moldova, please visit our Ukraine response page and our Moldova program page.

Field Journal: Celebrating Summer Successes in Basarabeasca, Moldova

by LHI Volunteers Davide and Thomas

Thomas and Davide, our outstanding international volunteers in Basarabeasca, Moldova, concluded their role as summer camp counselors and teachers by helping to plan an end-of-summer extravaganza! We thank Thomas and Davide for their incredible work this summer. We know the town of Basarabeasca will miss them terribly!

Davide, Thomas, and Edu pose for a group photo outside the Phoenix Center with the campers who made their summer unforgettable!

 August 13th 2023, Basarabeasca, Moldova

Our fourth week at the Phoenix Center kicked off with two full days dedicated to preparing for a significant event—a grand end-of-summer party for the kids! 

Thomas and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday fine-tuning every small detail. As volunteers, we played a significant role in setting up sports games and assisting the kids in practicing various exercises they would showcase to their parents and an official jury on Thursday during a competition. Simultaneously, invitations were sent out, food and beverages were procured, and by Thursday, everything was primed. For the occasion, additional members from the LHI Moldova team traveled to Basarabeasca to offer their support and participate in the festivities. Everyone was excited to have our Director of Field Operations, Edoardo, and our photographer, Octavian, join for the day.

Children competed in fun and creative contests. The winners looked forward to collecting their awards!

After a morning of final preparations and anticipation, the celebrations started around 2 p.m. The event began with sports competitions among the kids. They were divided into two teams under two captains— Thomas and me. In between competitions, other beneficiaries of the center performed choreographed dances, both traditional and contemporary. Once everything concluded, all kids from the two teams were presented with awards, and the center's director, Clara, delivered a speech expressing gratitude to everyone involved, including Edoardo, us, and all the others who had contributed to the effort and work in the past weeks. The remainder of the event unfolded smoothly, featuring entertainers for the children, courtyard dances, and a final soccer match. The atmosphere was joyful and, and everyone was left content.

Campers enjoyed showing off their dance moves!

In the evening, Clara organized a staff dinner to celebrate the end of the summer camp, which had occupied the center and its staff for the past several weeks. The mayor and deputy-mayor of Basarabeasca were also in attendance, offering their support for the project, acknowledging our presence, and once again expressing their gratitude for our contributions. On our part, we extended our thanks to the mayor, deputy-mayor, Clara, and the entire staff for their warm and kind welcome. The dinner stretched on for hours, creating a wonderfully pleasant occasion shared with the entire center team.

Edu, LHI Director of Field Operations in Moldova, and Clara, the director of the Phoenix Center, enjoy the day’s festivities.

Friday saw a quieter atmosphere at the center, but a new project was on the horizon. In the late afternoon, a group of artists from Romania arrived to commence work on two graffiti pieces on the center's exterior walls. This collaboration involved a Romanian NGO and the Romanian Culture Institute. After an initial inspection on Friday, the artists returned to start their work on Saturday and throughout the weekend. Given their need for access to the Center, we ended up spending the entire weekend assisting them, even on Sunday.

It was an incredibly eventful week that marked the conclusion of the summer camp and held significant importance for our stay here. Our bond with the center's community grew even stronger, and we received heartfelt and appreciative feedback on our efforts – a truly important validation. We are glad to have played a part in this project thus far.

To find out more about LHI’s work in Moldova, please click here!

Visiting LHI Projects in Ukraine and Jordan Made a Lifetime of Difference to Me

By Mary Carriero, Chairperson, LHI Board of Directors

LHI Board of Directors Chairperson, Mary Carriero (center in sunglasses), traveled with members of the LHI crew to Jordan and Ukraine to check in on our operations there.

It was a genuine privilege to accompany Hayley Smith, LHI Founder and Director, and Walker Frahm, LHI COO, on a recent trip to visit LHI’s programs in Jordan and Ukraine. In both countries, the needs LHI is addressing are visible, raw and immediate.

While in Jordan, Mary (pictured in a pink hat) helped inspect each goat to be distributed.

On our first stop, Jordan, I immediately saw how desperately the goats we distribute are needed by Syrian refugee families. Goats are in such demand because owning goats so significantly improves quality of life for Syrian refugees in Jordan. In tents and homes, we were offered milk, yogurt and cheese that had all come from the goats. A family spoke of saving the money they earned from selling goat dairy products to pay for surgery needed for their young son’s eye. These are refugee families that have lived in camps for 10+ years. For them, goats are part of a path to a better, sustainable future.

When we arrived in Ukraine, I reflected that appearances can be deceiving. On the surface, Lviv resembles any number of other beautiful, old European cities. But a few weeks before we visited, Lviv was directly attacked by Russian shelling. When we checked into our hotel, we were told the hours for breakfast, the location of the hotel restaurant—and the location of the hotel bomb shelter.

Ongoing attacks force ordinary Ukrainians to make tough choices. Hayley and I were with one of our partners as she dropped her daughter off to stay with family outside of Lviv—she considered it safer than having her daughter with her in the city. Another partner, whose wife had recently given birth, spoke of women in labor at the local hospital needing to be moved to the basement for safety during the attack—and that is where some women gave birth. And, on our bus out of Ukraine to Poland, we sat behind a young mother and her two young children, all in tears as they said goodbye to their father. He, like most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60, cannot legally leave the country because of a general mobilization order.

Mary (left) visited the LHI Women’s Shelter in Ukraine with LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith and LHI COO Walker Frahm.

The psychological and physical impact of the ongoing war across the whole of Ukraine’s population is enormous. But LHI is making a real difference in the lives of Ukrainians via services such as food distribution to internally displaced persons (IDPs), psychological support programs, and a shelter providing housing for those needing assistance.

One consistent element in both Jordan and Ukraine was the complete commitment, dedication, and generosity of our local teams. As I met with members of these groups in person, I saw first-hand the strengths of LHI’s model of utilizing locals to get the work done. Each team is intimately familiar with, and personally involved in, assessing needs and providing aid. Our local teams work creatively, collaboratively, and tirelessly to provide solutions that are tailored to these needs, emphasizing stability and sustainability. On a personal level, each group went out of their way to welcome our team with meals, fellowship and smiles.

Mary helped prepare food boxes for distribution to displaced families in Ukraine.

I can’t close this note without touching on the laughter and communion that provide moments of joy throughout this trip. Whether it was sharing underground dining, a theme that ran throughout the trip (we ate in a cave, a WWII bunker and the basement shelter), or the many hours spent in a bus twilight zone (if you know, you know), or desperately seeking 30 Polish groszy (to be able to use the bathroom in the aforementioned twilight zone), this was a group of people who were able to find the humor in everything. When the situations you are witnessing can be so intense, laughter becomes a true gift.

Mary (left) shares a meal with LHI Founder and Director Hayley (2nd from left) and the rest of the LHI crew at the LHI Women’s Shelter in Ukraine.

This trip made a lifetime of difference to me. The key takeaway I came home with is how directly impactful LHI’s work is. I don’t think anyone can have this experience without coming away with a tremendous sense of pride in all that the entire LHI team is doing and has accomplished.

Thank you LHI!

How Stuff Works: Responding to the Dam Catastrophe in Ukraine

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Our teams continue to pump flood water out of homes and businesses. Serhii (middle), LHI’s Ukraine country director, has coordinated a huge response. 

There are two fundamental truths when it comes to refugee work:

1. No single organization can tackle a crisis alone.

2. Refugees and displaced people understand their own needs best.

When we combine these two truths, we arrive at one of LHI's signature approaches: Providing high-level operational expertise to our local teams.

Our Ukraine response is a perfect example of this. We've set up ten operating centers throughout the country that we run with our local teams, each of whom provides a myriad of services.

When Russian forces destroyed Kakhova Dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine, 545,000 acres of rich farmland and villages were flooded with water that quickly became toxic from decomposing wildlife, chemicals and floating explosives. People needed rescuing from flooded homes and taken to shelters. Many people needed medical attention, including treatment for hypothermia and shock. 

The team at the LHI Operating Center in Kherson hunkering down in their basement during a shelling attack.

As it happens, one of our ten operating centers is located right in the heart of Kherson. Our Ukraine Country Director Serhii immediately called our team to see what we could do. Within a couple of hours, we were evacuating people from the floods by boat. And a few days later, we purchased an industrial-quality truck to pump toxic water out of flooded homes. Simply put, there is no way we could’ve done this on our own, without our team in Kherson. 

The NGO Hub in Kyiv became an emergency response center.

Our response to the flood extended beyond our operating center in Kherson. For example:

• The LHI Shelter in Lviv has taken in people displaced by the flooding. 

• Our partner forPeace organized a shipment of water filters to protect flood survivors from contaminated water. 

• We turned our NGO Hub in Kyiv into a coordination center and temporary aid collection point for response to the disaster. 

• And, we were surprised to learn that a frontline hospital we’d supplied medical equipment to used those very supplies to treat flood victims who suffered hypothermia.

Our teams sourced boats and fuel to rescue people stranded in flood waters.

LHI's rapid, efficient, and effective response to the humanitarian emergency caused by the Kakhova Dam rupture was made possible through strong partnerships with local people and organizations.

Learn more about our commitment to empowering ordinary Ukrainians to assist their fellow citizens in need and support our cause by donating towards the purchase of essential items. Visit our Ukraine response page by clicking here.

The LHI Difference: Humanitarian Aid From Person to Person

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Edu, LHI’s Director of Field Operations in Moldova, distributes toys to Ukrainian refugee children.

Yesterday morning, I was busy getting the kids ready for school. As usual, I had one AirPod in so that I could catch Morning Edition while also fielding breakfast requests and packing snack bags. My ears perked up when I heard the intro to a story about how the Turkish city of Sanliurfa is using lessons learned from welcoming Syrian refugees to assist people displaced by the earthquakes.

As I listened, the words of an interviewee, Ali Altin, who runs a distribution center in Sanliurfa, caught my attention. He observed that Syrian war refugees and earthquake survivors share this similarity: “Families who have never wanted for anything before in their lives are suddenly in need of a single diaper, and you can sense they don’t know how to tell you what they need and are almost apologetic for asking.”

This statement brought me back to a voice memo Edu, LHI’s Director of Field Operations in Moldova, sent me a few weeks back about why he thinks it is important that he is there, on the ground, when aid is distributed. And, since Edu took a good deal of time to send me the voice memo, I’ll let him take the lead in telling you why LHI’s practice of having team members at humanitarian aid distributions as often as possible is so important.

Edu often opens boxes of aid with beneficiaries. This gives him an opportunity to talk with people and to better understand their situation and their needs.

Being present at distributions brings humanity and dignity to a moment that is quite delicate.

Edu told me, “I think that asking for humanitarian aid, asking for help is something that can be humiliating. It makes people feel vulnerable and nobody likes it. So that is the starting point. And I think if I am there, wearing LHI gear, representing the organization, it brings some humanity to this process, and makes the beneficiaries feel better because they know it's from human to human.”

Edu also shared that some NGOs unload boxes of aid and leave. He said that the effect of this is that: “they don’t even know refugees faces. This could be quite undignifying for them, for the people who receive the support, and that is unfortunately how it works usually. They just load a truck with stuff, send it to the village where there is need, unload it, and that is it. People don’t even know where these things come from, who donated, and probably they get a feeling that the donors don’t care much about them. 

When I take part in a distribution, people can say thank you to me. That brings a bit of dignity and humanity in the process- in this moment that is quite delicate.

Refugees remember more about LHI. There is a person who makes the moment more memorable. It makes it a nicer experience.”

Edu spent some time playing with Ukrainian children sheltering in the dorms at university in Chisinau, Moldova. Edu got the idea to set up a playroom when he saw the children playing in the narrow corridors during an aid distribution.

Meeting beneficiaries helps LHI to get to know them, to better understand their needs, and to help them get the aid and services they are not able to get anywhere else.

Edu told me that when he is present at distributions, “I get to know the real situation. I get to see where the refugees live and what are their needs. I get to talk to them. I get to listen to them. I could not have such a grasp on their lives if I were not there.”

Edu’s presence at one distribution led to one of LHI’s coolest projects in Moldova. He said: “When I distributed aid to a university [that shelters Ukrainian refugees in its dormitories], I saw the kids playing in the corridor and then I had the idea that maybe we could set up a playroom for these kids. That has been one of the most successful projects so far in Moldova, and that idea just sparked during a distribution.”

LHI founder and director Hayley Smith talks with a woman during a distribution of aid to earthquake survivors in Turkey.

LHI’s COO Walker echoed Edu’s sentiments recently in a staff meeting when he reflected on his recent visit to earthquake survivors in Turkey. He told us about a Syrian refugee he met who’d first lost three of her children in Syria because of the civil war, and had now lost six more children in the earthquake. She and other women and children were sleeping on the floor in a mosque. What they needed were mattresses so that they could get off of the cold, hard floor. Because of this conversation, LHI was able to provide the people sleeping in the mosque that small, but much needed, comfort.

LHI’s Walker, Jaron, and Hayley recently traveled through Turkey to personally distribute aid to earthquake survivors.

Walker also told us that he spent some time playing with the children who were sheltering at the mosque. He said, “There is not much for [earthquake survivors] to do.” Many people are not working because they’ve been displaced from their homes, or because their workplaces have been destroyed, or because supply chains have been greatly disrupted. Children are not in school because buildings are damaged or teachers have been killed or displaced. In light of this, Walker said, “It feels very valuable to play with the kids and engage them.”

LHI’s Ukraine country director Serhii (he’s the one with the sunglasses on his head) recently traveled to Kherson where he met with volunteers who serve their community and affected villages at great risk to themselves. Meeting people and forming partnerships is how LHI gets its work done.

The relationships and partnerships that pave the way for LHI to do its work are forged on the ground.

Serhii, our Ukraine country director, puts this best. He told me:

“A partnership isn't built by phone calls, emails, or agreements. It is forged on dusty roads and in destroyed villages. [Before joining LHI], I was doing massive projects with dozens of teammates and thousands of beneficiaries, and it was easy to lose the sense of human connection. My job isn't about metric tons or quantity; that's about connecting the dots and ultimately bringing people together. That's why I travel with our fantastic partners, whenever possible, to the most affected areas. We drive, unload aid and sometimes seek shelter together.

Now I can see the hard work of our partners, share the team spirit and remind myself about the very essence of humanitarianism. We build hope, empower people, and come together as a big family.”

And I think Serhii hits the nail on the head: the essence of humanitarianism is seeing the humanity in our beneficiaries and partners and working together to provide the things people need to maintain or rebuild their sense of dignity and self-sufficiency.

If you’d like to learn more about our team , our work, and how you can help, please visit our website!

Conversations In Ukraine

by Hayley Smith, LHI Founder and Director

The LHI team holds a meeting by candlelight at a cafe in Odessa.

LHI founder and director Hayley Smith visited Ukraine in December to visit our operating centers and assess the needs of everyday Ukrainians. Here, she shares some of the conversations she had when she was on the ground.

Odessa, southwestern Ukraine

Me: “I can’t hear you!”

Colleague: “What?”

Me: “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

Colleague: “IT’S BECAUSE OF THE GENERATORS”

Me: “I KNOW!”

This is how conversations in Odessa, Ukraine go these days. With regular power outages, people have resorted to power generators. Loud power generators! Every business and every apartment complex is running a generator. Street lights aren’t hooked up to a generator, which is why we pass a few minor car crashes along on our way to a meeting in a local cafe.During that meeting, the city power came back on. The cafe staff turned off the generator as I was mid-sentence. I realized I’d been yelling over the generator. But about ten minutes later, everything went dark again and the  ‘ol generator roared to life once again.

A dedicated but exhausted surgical nurse in Kryvyi Rih.

Kryvyi Rih, eastern Ukraine

Doctor: “May I please ask you something?”

Me: “Of course!”

Doctor: “Please do not post any of the pictures of the hospital from the outside.”

Me: “Oh okay, no problem.”

Doctor: “It is because the hospital is a target, you see.”

Two of the maxillofacial surgeons at the hospital.

We had just toured the facial reconstruction surgical department at a hospital near the frontlines. We met and talked to two patients who’d recently had surgery. The first was a lady who’d been caught in crossfire and shot in the face from a distance. Because she lived in an occupied part of Ukraine, she couldn’t get proper help until her town was liberated 5 months later. Another man’s jaw was severely damaged by shrapnel. The surgeons did their best considering the frontlines were a couple miles away and casualties were flowing in every day. There was a time where all of the hospital staff just slept at the hospital. 

The kind man who shared his story with us.

Irpin, Ukraine (near Kyiv)

Me: “It was so nice to meet you.”

Local man: “My child, I survived the occupation, but will I survive the winter?”

Me: “Of course you will.”

Local man: “Are you sure?”

The team of two friends on the right survived the occupation. They showed us pictures of the damage to an apartment block that they are now repairing.

Occupying forces killed about 300 people in Irpin, most of whom were men. Not fighting men. Just civilians like the man whose hand I was grasping. He had the clearest blue eyes and, at the age of 65, somehow survived when so many others didn’t. After the liberation of Irpin in late March 2022, he and a close friend had taken on a pretty ambitious project of rebuilding a central apartment block that had sustained major damage. It helped him focus on the future rather than remembering the horrific things he witnessed. So, there we stood looking up at the building and all of the repairs, never letting go of each others' hands until I had to move on to the next stop on our humanitarian visit to Ukraine.

News from Ukraine: Medical Needs Challenge A Country At War

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Dr. Aragon Ellwanger assesses a Ukrainian civilian badly injured by shrapnel.

How do civilians seek medical care when their country is at war? This question drew me up short. Hospitals must treat those injured by war, in addition to people who require urgent and long-term care for run-of-the-mill illnesses and injuries. 

Battery powered incubators arrived from LHI to Ukrainian hospitals last month.

Babies

I had intense and unrelenting contractions when I was in labor with my son 10 years ago, and that was without power outages, supply shortages, and lack of heating that so many maternal wards experience in Ukraine. This is why LHI distributed battery-operated incubators to maternity hospitals and NICUs in Ukraine, with the help of Smart Aid. (Readers, remember that this is Brigid writing, not Hayley! Hayley does not have a secret child). 

Health care workers at a surgical clinic near the front lines recently gave our Ukraine country director, Serhii, a tour of their clinic.

ICUs

Serhii, our Ukraine country director, recently visited a frontline surgical clinic in eastern Ukraine. He spoke with Anna, Director of Surgery, who left her job in Kyiv to care for cancer and ICU patients whose treatments were on hold while war injuries were rushing in. With Anna’s guidance and Serhii’s expert fact-finding skills, LHI, in cooperation with our friends at Dead Lawyers Society (yup, it’s a play on the movie Dead Poets Society) funded essential laparoscopic surgical equipment to help Anna and other doctors meet ICU patient needs. 

Dr. Aragon Ellwanger considers how best to treat a civilian patient with a war-related injury.

Civilian war injuries

Face-altering shrapnel and bullet wounds are now commonplace injuries at frontline clinics. I recently talked with Britta Ellwanger from ForPEACE, who works day and night to help on the frontlines. Her brother Dr. Aragon Ellwanger, a United States Air Force trained oral maxillofacial surgeon with experience treating frontline trauma wounds, joined her in Ukraine to assess needs at a frontline hospital. 

He immediately noticed a patient, Volodymyr, whose jaw had been severely damaged by shrapnel. Even after surgery at the local hospital, his jaw had been sewn shut for three months, and he had lost 40 pounds. This is because, well, "how to repair bone shredded by shrapnel" or "how to reconstruct jaws shattered by bullets" are not typical courses in medical school. Another factor in the less-than-ideal surgical outcomes is that a lot of the hospital’s surgical equipment was either outdated or not working

Dr. Ellwanger performed a corrective surgery to undo the first surgery and then reconstruct Volodymyr's jaw. Now he can open his mouth again, talk, eat food, etc. Volodymyr was lucky, however. Patients with severe trauma injuries across Ukraine have to wait months for any sort of treatment. In some cases, family and friends will raise at least $80,000 for a medical evacuation to Western Europe or the USA to receive treatment, but that is a rare case.

Training surgeons

The best solution is to train Ukrainian surgeons in oral maxillofacial wounds and to encourage hospitals to upgrade their equipment. Dr. Ellwanger has sourced a portable medical kit that he can take to frontline hospitals to train their surgeons to treat injuries unique to wartime. 

LHI is partnering with forPeace to cover the cost of this surgical equipment. We are excited that this project centers around training Ukrainian doctors and building the capacity of the healthcare system in Ukraine. We also know that this project will offer hope to hundreds of Ukrainian patients who have suffered devastating injuries.

If you’d like to learn more about this mobile surgical training project, please click here

News from Ukraine: An Apartment Complex in Dnipro Was Destroyed. LHI Was There.

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

This photo of an apartment complex that was hit by a Russian missile on Saturday, January 14 was taken by a partner on the ground who was there to distribute LHI aid to displaced residents.

On Monday morning, I opened my Slack messages to find that Serhii, LHI’s Ukraine country director, had sent video and pictures of an apartment complex in Dnipro that had been hit by a missile. I’ve always been a news junkie—something that now serves me well in my role as LHI communication director—so I’d been following Russia’s weekend attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. But seeing the video and photos that Serhii sent along hit me so much harder and brought me so much closer to the reality of life in Ukraine right now.

According to the Associated Press, at least 29 civilians died as a result of the attack, and over 70 people were wounded. As of Monday morning, over 40 people were still missing. Of course, those numbers are staggering, especially since each represents one human life. The number that really stood out to me, however, was the number of people who had lived in the apartment complex—1,700—who were now homeless in the bitter Ukrainian winter.

What shook me further was reading in the Washington Post that Dnipro had been a refuge for displaced people from Russian-occupied Mariupol as well as Donetsk and Luhansk, areas on the front lines. I don’t know if any of the people who lived in the apartment building were people who’d fled Mariupol, Donetsk, or Luhansk. I do know that those people who had relocated to Dnipro in search of safety are now likely doing an impossible calculus as they try to figure out what to do next.

LHI arrived quickly to the emergency response station near the apartment complex in Dnipro. These boxes contain warm clothing, baby items, and personal care items—all things displaced residents lost.

It really hasn’t been easy immersing myself in all things Ukraine. I can’t imagine what it is like for my colleagues who live in Ukraine and neighboring Moldova or who visit Ukraine periodically to assess the needs on the ground. What keeps me going is knowing this work matters. When I see images of boxes of aid with the Lifting Hands International label sitting just yards away from the apartment building that was bombed, I know that telling all of you about the work that Lifting Hands International does matters. I want you to know that because of you, our supporters and volunteers, and the partnerships we’ve worked so hard to establish on the ground in Ukraine, almost overnight we had sleeping bags, socks, personal hygiene items, diapers and other essentials ready to distribute to the people who had lost everything. This is no small thing. 

Thank you for continuing to read the stories we share with you and to care about not only Ukrainian people, but all people who could use a lifting hand.

To learn more about our emergency response in Ukraine, click here.

News from Ukraine: The Power of Small NGOs

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Why can small NGOs like Lifting Hands International make a big difference in places like Ukraine? Because we can quickly go right to the source and ask people what they need.

You know the saying “bigger is better?” I don’t believe it, and neither do the authors of a recent op-ed titled “Ukraine’s Dunkirk Moment: Small NGOs Needed to Avert A Humanitarian Disaster.”

The authors, all founders or employees of small NGOs, validate what we’ve always known: large international aid organizations, while laudable in their intent, move slowly in response to urgent need because of the constraints of financial regulations and the lack of on-the-ground connections to people and networks who can get aid out quickly. Small NGOs like LHI, however, are able to quickly and efficiently communicate with contacts on the ground to assess need, leverage existing relationships, create new partnerships, and provide timely, targeted support.

This is Oxana, our amazing Moldova Country Director, chatting with LHI’s Founder and Director Hayley Smith as they assessed the needs of Ukrainian refugees and the Moldovan communities hosting them .

Or, as Oxana, our Moldova Country Director says of LHI’s small grants program, which benefits local groups providing real-time support to Ukranian refugees: “No one gives them resources so fast and in so easy a way!”

Don’t believe that it’s the little guys that are getting the job done? Then read this story:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is THE top organization in the world to help refugees. They do a lot of good, don’t get me wrong. But they recently contacted our operation center in Moldova to see if we could help some refugees they could not. 

A man battling cancer and his teenaged son had fled from Ukraine into Moldova. The UNHCR couldn’t help, they said, because they did not have the proper documentation. You see, the father had left his home in Transnistria in the 1990s when the region was fighting for autonomy from Moldova. He arrived in Ukraine, and like other Transnistrians, was allowed to stay indefinitely. He and his partner eventually welcomed their son in Ukraine. However, Ukraine does not have birthright citizenship, and since neither of his parents were Ukrainian, the boy also did not have Ukrainian citizenship. 

On paper, the UNHCR aid worker said, the man and his son did not qualify as Ukrainian refugees eligible for aid. Without intervention, this man would not get the medication he needed to treat his cancer and neither he nor his son would have food and winter clothing. The aid worker could appeal to the central authorities, but the appeal could take months to process. 

Instead, she called us. The man and his son received what they needed within days.

Still not convinced?

Vans like this one, which we operate with our partner Caritas Mostyska, take aid to people still living on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. Brave volunteers drive these vans and make sure essential supplies get to those who need them.

One of our drivers went knocking door to door in Prydniprovske, a village in the Dnipropetrovsk region (Eastern - Central part of Ukraine), to try and find people who needed help. An older woman answered the door, and started crying, “How did you know I was here?” She was amazed that we found her because she can’t leave the house. She was totally alone. Until one person with the flexibility to go door-to-door showed up.

LHI is a small organization. We have very little overhead, so most of the money we raise goes directly to benefit refugees and displaced people. We can move quickly in response to immediate and urgent needs. Your support helps us stay nimble!

To find out more about how you can support our work, click here.

News from Ukraine: Newly Liberated Kherson Is Not So Live-able

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Where is the owner of this single shoe? Are they still somewhere in Kherson, trying to get by in a city that has been destroyed by the Russian invasion and occupation? Or did they leave to look for safety in western Ukraine or abroad?

Like much of the rest of the world, I celebrated at the news that Kherson had been liberated from Russian occupation. I perhaps felt a little more joyful and celebrated a little longer, because unlike much of the rest of the world, my days are filled with sorting through news from Ukraine—some from news outlets, but much from LHI’s teams on the ground. After reading and writing about the women and children living at the LHI Shelter in Lviv, tracking Father George’s efforts to get humanitarian aid to people still living on the front lines, and considering the substantial danger the drivers who transport that aid there put themselves in daily, getting some good news was a relief.

This relief was tempered somewhat by the thought that maybe people who are not immersed in news from Ukraine day in and day out might think that the liberation of Kherson meant the war was over and the people of Ukraine no longer needed aid. This is so far from the truth.

Vasily from our partner org Caritas Mostyska sent us three of these photos showing the devastation in Kherson. A quick Google search showed me that much of Kherson, including the main bridge into the city, lies in ruins.

While Kherson may be liberated, it is far from liveable. As Russian troops withdrew, they left behind landmines and destroyed infrastructure. And though the occupation is over, Russia continues to shell Kherson, knocking out power again and again as quickly as Ukrainians are able to restore it. As the cold weather intensifies, sometimes the only way to keep warm is to visit one of the warming stations that have been set up around the town square. Buildings, homes, and vehicles lie in ruins.

One bright point: cell phone service has been restored—sort of. One portable 4G cell phone power helps people make calls.

Volunteers from Lviv drove east to Kherson with aid such as food and personal care kits.

Stas, the Director of the LHI Shelter in Lviv, and a friend recently loaded two buses up with badly needed humanitarian aid from LHI and drove it to Kherson. They were met by people desperate to receive it. But, they were also met by people desperate to get out of Kherson to what they hoped would be better conditions in the west. Stas and his friend agreed to take them, aware that loss of power and heat is very much a threat away from the front line, but also aware that after surviving 9 months of brutal Russian occupation, even the harsh conditions in the west might be a relief.

LHI has 7 operating centers in Ukraine. We are ready to respond quickly to evolving needs. You can help us! Visit our Ukraine response page to learn more.

Lifting Hands In Ukraine and Moldova: What We've Done and What We Want To Do

What a year we’ve had! After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, we were amazed by the generosity of our supporters, old and new, as we did what we do best: quickly respond to humanitarian crises in real time. With your help, we have:

1. Made new friends and formed new partnerships

We met Liza and Anna, new friends from our partner I Am Not Alone. We’ve worked with I Am Not Alone to get food and clothing to the front lines and to bring surgeons from France to Ukraine to train Ukrainian doctors in trauma surgical techniques. Liza and Anna even traveled to the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece to offer legal aid to Ukrainian refugees there!

We met Stas, the Ukrainian entrepreneur-turned-humanitarian who converted a space he’d planned to use for a business into the LHI Shelter in Ukraine, and the women and children who live there.

We spent an afternoon with Orthodox priest Father George and his father, Father Vasily, at St. George’s Church in the village of Storozhynets in Western Ukraine. These men converted the seminary building at St. George’s into a shelter for Ukrainians fleeing violence in eastern Ukraine just hours after Russia invaded. Father George also works with another partner, Blood for Romania, and a network of other Orthodox priests to get food and clothing to people still living on the front lines.

Traci, our co-Director of Utah Operations, and Vasily, from our partner Caritas Mostyska have become good friends as they’ve continued to work together to get shipments of aid from the LHI Aid Warehouse in Utah to Ukraine.

2. Distributed Aid to internally displaced ukrainians and ukrainian refugees in moldova

3. Awarded over 60 small grants to organizations on the ground in Moldova

One grant recipient, the Media Center of Transnistria, ran an education project for Roma children and mothers when they fled their homes in Ukraine.

The local library in the Moldovan village of Riscova used a small grant to start an embroidery club for Ukrainian refugees. One librarian noticed that an organization was attending to her new Ukrainian neighbors’ physical needs, but that no one was offering leisure activities. Over 40 Ukrainian people learned to embroider. The group even won 3rd prize in an embroidery contest!

A project in the village of Parcani helps the local community and Ukrainian refugees to come together to grow food, such as potatoes.

4. Played with and admired the resilience of so many Ukrainian children impacted by the war

Most kids think Edu, LHI’s Director of Field Operations in Moldova, is Santa Claus, except perhaps this little fellow. He was not happy that Edu wouldn’t give him the whole box of balls. Fortunately, he was sort of ok with one in the end!

Edu and Irina from our partner Phoenix opened a playroom for Ukrainian children sheltering at the Polytechnic University in Chisinau.

Babies love the LHI baby kits, many of which are assembled by our volunteers in Utah.

And of course, whenever Hayley is on the ground in Ukraine and Moldova, her playful nature lifts the spirits of all the children she meets!

Where are we going from here? With your help, we will be able to:

1. Help our partners in Ukraine and Moldova winterize shelters, hospitals, and orphanages

2. Provide warm clothing, blankets, and sleeping bags to Ukrainians vulnerable to power outages

3. Provide food and medicine to Ukrainians in need

How can you help? We are glad you asked! Click here to learn more!

How Cold Is Winter In Ukraine?

by Hayley Smith, LHI Founder and Director

Ukrainians stop for a hot meal on the border of Moldova and Ukraine. This tent is warmed by a generator, a resource desperately needed throughout Ukraine this winter.

“In my videos I try to explain and reveal to you the very essence of our culture, our language, traditions, rules, and even some interesting places in Ukraine which you won’t want to pass by on your next visit.”

I lifted the above quote from the YouTube profile of prolific Ukrainian vlogger Olga Reznikova. She’s made hundreds of fun and informative videos, all in English, about everything Ukraine. For example, some pre-war videos include tips for night club dress codes, the cost of living in Ukraine, and life hacks in the Kyiv airport. 

Olga demonstrates how deep the snow can get in this screenshot I captured from YouTube.

But the video that caught my eye is, “Real winter in Ukraine,” published 5 years ago, long before talk of a humanitarian crisis. In the video, we see Olga walking down the stairs of her family’s apartment complex, bundled up in a thick winter coat and wool hat. “I just want to show you the real winter, because it’s -17C. It’s crazy cold, and even for Ukrainians it is crazy cold. In Odessa region, Mykolaiv region, Kherson region, the national roads are closed just because of so much snow.”

Check out the ice crystals forming on Olga’s eyelashes and eyebrows!

Olga opens the door. The camera takes a second to focus from a dark corridor to a pure white blanket of snow outside. The cold is palpable. The snow is deep. The town is quiet. People can’t really go anywhere, though she films some cars trying to navigate the snowy roads. Ice quickly forms on her eyebrows and eyelashes.

Despite the cold, Olga is adorable and bubbly, and the video is fun and light. Yet I watch in half-humor and half-horror. I smile and sorrow at the same time. This delightful video unintentionally confirms my deep-seated fear that this winter will be a humanitarian crisis on a colossal scale.

“Everyone is worried because winter is coming. The most important thing is heating. We need it to live.” Natasha, Dnipro

“Russia will try to freeze us, starve us and terrorize us into submission.” Yuri, Kyiv

“This is a question of survival, simply survival.” Elena, Kyiv

I pulled these quotes from some of many current news articles about the coming winter. As Russia continues to attack the infrastructure that supplies heat, electricity, and water to homes, hospitals, shelters, and orphanages, we at LHI are committed to doing everything we can to counter that destruction with sources of warmth. With your support, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians will make it through this winter alive. Thank you for standing with Ukraine! 

Olga has gone on to make incredible journalistic videos about the war in Ukraine. See her channel here.

I watched some videos produced by the Ukrainian government encouraging people to stay strong. One such video shows ways to stay warm: hot water bottles, warm clothes, and a cat. Yes, a cat.