A Prayer for Ukraine
Heavenly Father, bless all children and families in our sites in Haiti. Help us to continue to provide the means through which children and their families can access adequate nutrition, school support, and medical care. In the face of frequent natural disasters, we have seen inspirational stories of the hard work, determination, and unwavering faith of the Haitian people. Please continue to guide them as they strive to live their lives in dignity and peace. We also offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the generous acts of kindness and love from our supporters, especially when natural disasters strike. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord, Amen
The Radiance of Ukraine: Pierogi
Pierogi (also known as varenyky) stuffed with potatoes and bacon is one of Ukraine's most iconic recipes, and families have enjoyed this savoury dish for centuries. The dumplings are often mentioned in Ukrainian folklore songs and literature.
Each Ukrainian host has his or her own recipe for pierogis, but the cooking method remains the same: wrapping unleavened dough around the filling. The filling for pierogis can include almost anything. Besides the potato and bacon version, some of the more popular fillings include minced meat, minced beans, peas, and cabbage. To top it off, add a dollop of sour cream. Dessert fillings can include cherries, raspberries, apples, blueberries, or billberries.
Pierogis have always been, and continue to be, an integral part of festive meals at weddings, christenings, feast days, and church holidays in rural Ukraine.
The most important part of the recipe is preparing the dough. Don't worry if it doesn't turn out picture-perfect on the first try though - it can take years of practice!
Did you know? Chalice ensures children have balanced and nutrient-rich diets by implementing school feeding programs through the support of the Chalice Nutrition Program.
Stories of Inspiration
Poultry, pigs and potatoes: that’s what life looks like these days for the Horodetska family. The family of six lives near our sponsor site in Ternopil, and they’ve grown their home farm to include cows, goats and more. But it took a bit of time, and a few special gifts, to get there.
The Challenge in Ukraine
Political instability, lack of government fundng, crumbling buildings, low wages, and rising inflation are just some of the challenges facing people living in Ukraine. Malnutrition has led to health issues in both children and adults. In rural areas there is rampant unemployment and unstable weather patterns can quickly ruin a small enterprise like a kitchen garden, chicken coop, or pig farm.
The Change in Ukraine
The love of our supporters and the dedicated staff at our sponsor sites have improved the quality of life for families in our sites.
Sponsorship gives families the resources they need to buy necessities every month to ensure their children can eat and attend school. Families are grateful to receive help through the gift catalogue to replace ancient stoves and fridges, replace broken furniture, and gift income opportunities through small tools and sewing machines. Projects like firewood for families, a dairy co-operative, school supplies for children, and fixing crumbling school infrastructure, have greatly improved the lives of thousands of needy families.
Our sites in the ukraine
Lviv sponsor site was established in 2019 and consists of 660 children living in the city of Lviv and in villages outside the city. This site, formerly a sub-site of Pochaiv site, is run by experienced staff. Their mission is to serve people by helping them overcome poverty through education, formation of Chalice family circles, budget planning, and skills training. The site supports children in both large urban centers and small rural villages where many of the families survive on small scale agriculture with limited incomes.
Chalice has been partnering with the “World for Children” charity in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Volyn regions since 1999. Sponsored children live with their families in both urban and rural areas. The site works with families who struggle to provide adequate nutrition and education to their children due to the area’s high rates of unemployment and low wages. There are also many children with chronic illnesses and disabilities who need the site’s support. The site also focuses on supplying clean water, hygienic washrooms and income-generating projects for the entire community.
Chalice has partnered with the non-profit World of Children since 1998. The Ternopil site serves underprivileged families in 17 areas around the region, as well as a boarding school. There are very few jobs available, and work pays low wages, even for positions requiring a professional degree. Prior to the pandemic, many parents entrusted their children to live with relatives while they sought work outside of the country. The Ternopil site ensures families have access to quality food, household needs, hygiene products and educational materials. They build up confident young students through extra-curricular programs and strengthen families with workshops and psychological resources.