Help for Widows in Ukraine
Our “Help for Widows” project is a quarterly grocery distribution program that provides vital spiritual, emotional, and material support to families of widows and widowers with young or disabled dependents in Ukraine and Moldova.
Our local contacts —churches and charitable organizations —gather widows at their facilities, where they prepare meals, hold uplifting services featuring encouraging messages, prayer and singing, and allow families to share their needs and testimonies. Children also enjoy fun crafts during these gatherings.
After the meal, families receive bags or boxes of groceries to take home. In special circumstances, ministers deliver groceries directly to the homes of widows.
The project operates regionally, with each area sponsoring a designated number of widows, and sponsors receive regular updates on the progress and impact of their support.
Aid is provided for 460 widows across 19 regions in Ukraine and 120 widows in Moldova.
(Due to lack of funding, some regions were temporarily put on hold in 2024.)
Additionally, we undertake one-time projects to address urgent needs, such as purchasing washing machines, refrigerators, and winter firewood or coal for families in need.
During the Christmas holidays, gifts are distributed to children from these families. (That is approximately 2,300 gifts in Ukraine and 600 gifts in Moldova).
"The war in Ukraine has profoundly affected everyone. Many are struggling with fear, uncertainty about the future, and difficulties at work. For widows, navigating this situation is twice as challenging. Projects such as this one are not just important, they are essential within our churches."
Viktor and Marina Danilchenko
Project coordinators in Vinnitsia Oblast, Ukraine
Firewood for Winter for Families of Widows
Our “Help for Widows in Ukraine” project is thriving. As of now, it includes 460 widows in 18 regions of Ukraine. We have dedicated sponsors for this project, which makes it possible to hold quarterly meetings and distribute grocery gifts. But every year, we take on a side project, which requires extra fundraising. We ask our local partners in Ukraine to choose families most in need, and send an extra gift their way. In 2017, we purchased 50 washing machines. In 2018, 66 refrigerators and freezers. In 2019-2020, widows asked for help keeping their homes warm throughout winter. Many live in villages, in poor living conditions. They require wood or coal for their heating systems.
UPDATE: By the grace of God, and through wonderful sponsors, in the last two years we were able to finance the purchase and delivery of 60 truckloads of winter firewood for families of widows in Ukraine, and 10 trucks in Moldova. The cost of each was approximately $250. Thank you to everyone who made this possible! God bless you.
