Project to help volunteers during the war

Project to help volunteers during the war

In August 2022 our team with the support of KFUM og KFUK i Danmark and New Democracy Fund, started implementing a project to help volunteers during the war. Why did we choose this direction? Our team have known well what challenges volunteers faced, because we have been a part of this movement. Also, together with Студентське Братство, we have been providing humanitarian support to IDPs and people in frontline areas.
During this time:
– Our lawyer Богдан Зданевич conducted 158 legal consultations for volunteers and representatives of charitable organizations. And continues to do it!
If you are a volunteer and you need a legal consultation, you can contact Bohdan at the phone number: +38 093 412 05 22.
– We organized 10 training sessions on conducting volunteer activities and protecting human rights in wartime.
– Provided psychological support for volunteers. Volunteer burnout is unfortunately a part of our reality now. Most volunteers have been working since February 24 under conditions of stress and uncertainty with no rest.
So, we organized group consultations and meetings for volunteer communities for networking, relaxation and exchange of experience. In total, we held 8 meetings, in which 87 people participated.
Understanding the need for further psychological support, we launched a project to create a volunteer co-working space “Volunteer Cafe”. This is a safe space where volunteers will always be able to find access to electricity, Internet, warmth during the cold season and communicate freely on any important topic.
– Published a series of stories about the life and work of volunteers in Ukraine (https://ymca-lviv.org/small-people-stories/).
– Conducted more than 30 art therapy classes for IDPs, volunteers and their children, as well as military families under the direction of Uliana Horbachevska. The result of this work was the powerful Christmas mystery-play “Circle of Paradise” – a unique author’s performance created on the basis of a traditional authentic carol. This project is unique not only from the point of view of composing and singing work: it was able to unite people from all over Ukraine, professional musicians and amateurs, adults and children. It became real art therapy for all participants. The premiere took place on January 13 in the Garrison Church of Peter and Paul, Lviv (https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTYxNTQ2MDQ3MTc4MTIw?story_media_id=2990341712549743423&igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc=). 95,786 hrn collected at the concert went to buy a thermal imagers and Starlink for the military.
– We regularly sent humanitarian aid to IDPs and people living in frontline areas. We are very grateful to The Student Fraternity of Lviv region for providing humanitarian aid for this need! Together, we sent more than 20 tons of aid and supported almost 5,000 people who found themselves in a difficult situation. As part of the humanitarian direction, we organized 2 dashing trips to the residents of the de-occupied villages immediately after the liberation of the Kherson region.
We do not stop and continue to work in these directions, collect information about the actual needs of volunteers and respond to it. Let’s work together, friends!