AN INTERVIEW WITH LUBA, TERNOPIL'S SITE DIRECTOR IN UKRAINE

Thank you for your continued support of our sites in Ukraine. The families and children we work with feel your love, support, and care through these difficult times. We spoke with Luba, director of our Ternopil site, about how families are coping with the war.

For families at our Ternopil site in Ukraine, a used clothing exchange is a simple, practical way to take care of each other when times are tough.

It started before the war, with parents bringing in used shirts, pants, and shoes to exchange with others. But the need has grown since the war began.

“And now it’s in particular in demand,” Luba, Ternopil’s site director, shared with Chalice.

It’s just one-way families cope as they enter the seventh month of the war.

For others, the solution is in the ground.

Families faced food shortages before the war, but those have intensified since it began. So, for many families, the solution is growing their own food.

Tending to the garden, picking berries, and keeping chickens – all are ways families feed themselves and earn income while other work is challenging. For families that own a cow or goat, they sell milk.

Families are doing their best to keep running, with some going to work, and others taking on chores and household duties. Children, meanwhile, are preparing to go back to school next month, though no one knows exactly what the school year will look like.

Sponsored children, their families, and Chalice’s Ukrainian staff are all grateful for the support received from the Ukraine Regional Assistance Fund. Funds have been used for food, medical expenses, and household bills.

At the end of the day, Ukraine is a land of great prayer and faith, Luba said. Ukrainians believe prayer accumulates like a dome over them to provide protection.

“This is what we truly believe,” she said.

You can continue supporting families in Ukraine by donating to the Regional Assistance Fund, or by offering your prayers.