By Igor Korsunsky | Executive Director
Velyka Rodyna (meaning “Big Family”) was founded in Kharkiv during the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The shelter was created in a former factory dormitory that was hardly designed for elderly or disabled people: narrow, dark corridors, bunk beds, inaccessible bathrooms, and limited cooking facilities. Over time, Velyka Rodyna was expanded and renovated to accommodate 60 residents at a time, with adapted living spaces for people with limited mobility, medical facilities, and common areas where residents can gather.
Over approximately four and a half years, more than 300 people have found refuge and care at Velyka Rodyna, brought in from Kharkiv and from de-occupied and frontline communities across the region. Some having lost their homes, some left without family support, others no longer able to live independently because of age, illness, disability, or what the war had done to their circumstances.
The philosophy behind Velyka Rodyna is contained in its name. Its goal has never been simply to provide beds and meals, but to create, as much as possible, a home, a sense of belonging, and a family for people who have lost so much.
RememberUs.org has been fortunate to become part of this effort. Our support has included the renovation of three rooms — two residential rooms and a medical isolation room — as well as renovations to the kitchen and bathroom facilities, together with continuing assistance for the shelter and its residents. Furthermore, our support includes ongoing $2,000 monthly operational support for Velyka Rodyna.
Behind every room we renovate is a person who had an entire life before arriving at Velyka Rodyna. We're starting a new series telling their stories: their lives, their memories, the roads that brought them here, and who they are today.
We are starting a new series, sharing the incredible stories of the Velyka Rodyna residents: their lives, their memories, the roads that brought them here, and the people they are today. #HonorTheYears #GoldenAge
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By Igor Korsunsky | Executive Director
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