UKRAINE. FAMILIES IN WAR ZONE NEED URGENT HELP.

2022 has ended. Definitely, the most difficult year in the life of Ukrainians in the last 80 years. The year that united us all in the face of the catastrophe brought to our land by the Russian aggressor.

When we announced this fundraiser in February, on the one hand, we had no idea how many people would need our help and how long this horror would last. At that time, we hoped to the last moment that ordinary people, children in peaceful Ukrainian cities and villages would not be massively bombed, tortured and killed. But we were very wrong...

But on the other hand, we did not expect such a powerful wave of support from the whole world. We received a total of 1,995 donations for families of war victims from individuals and organizations! Dozens of publications in the media, mailings with appeals to donate. Fundraisers were organized by people we didn't even know before. Now they are our friends who are with us at this time.

We were so moved when one of the famous YouTube bloggers talked in his video about a personal tragedy that recently happened in his family, and emphasized that no matter how much he is in pain now, it cannot be compared to the pain that Ukrainians are experiencing. He gave links and called for donations, including for our project. This impressive solidarity inspires us, gives us strength to work and does not allow us to lose heart!

It is thanks to you, friends, that we can promptly and fully respond to the most diverse challenges and requests from war-affected families from Odesa and other regions.

We will remind you that in the spring, the Foundation opened a Migrant Accommodation Center, a Humanitarian Center and a Social Cafe in Odesa. Thanks to their work in 2022:

• 5,193 migrants from other regions received temporary housing and other services in accommodation centers and apartments in Odesa

• 5,543 people were evacuated by the Fund's transport from Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa regions to other regions and abroad

• From 50 to 300 people received a hot meal and bakery every day thanks to the work of the social cafe

• About 9,000 migrants received informational support, including online

• 1,150 people received psychological support.

• More than 8,000 people in need received various humanitarian aid: food, hygiene packages, clothes, etc.

And in 2023, we continue to work to alleviate the suffering and restore resilience to thousands of families who were forced to leave their homes or were otherwise affected by the war in Ukraine.

Here comes autumn... In the spring, we sincerely hoped that by that time the war would be over and we could continue to live as usual in our beloved country. But the war stole this summer from us.

Therefore, we continue to work intensively, helping those who have suffered from hostilities. We continue to provide hundreds of people with housing in our transit center, food, humanitarian packs, medical and legal assistance, and help to evacuate to safe locations. At the same time, we don`t slow down the pace, scale and expand our activities.

Throughout our work with migrants, we are constantly confronted with the consequences of psychological upheavals and stress that they have experienced. Many are in a depressed or unstable emotional state. Children in their families are at even greater risk because the child's psyche is more vulnerable. Their development is negatively affected by trauma, loss of a sense of security, fears, changes in the usual environment and environment, life instability, as well as anxiety of parents.

We have launched a Psychological Service at the Foundation's Transit Center in Odesa, where 5 specialists constantly work with IDPs. Their tasks are to help people survive difficulties, accept reality, adapt to new conditions, find the resource in themselves to move on and restore their lives step by step. Psychologists work both individually with children, adults, and with the whole family as a whole. They conduct individual consultations and group sessions, using the most effective methods that primarily affect the stabilization of the emotional state of our clients.

Group trainings are held 3 times a week in each of our centers. Participants learn breathing exercises that neutralize anxiety, using the "Glass of Emotions", "Circle of Trust", "Interaction" techniques with metaphorical cards, art therapy methods, for example, drawing techniques for relieving stress, "My Family", "Tree", etc. .d. We are very happy to see positive results and good clients` feedback!

In addition, we are launching a new program to teach migrants in agribusiness. Such a program worked successfully before the war on our social farm for young people from vulnerable groups in the Odessa region. Now we are adapting it for adults, so that the migrants can get a source of income in a new place of residence.

Migrants should become a new force that will develop the Odesa region. And you can help them with this today!

70 days of war have passed... When it started, no one in the world expected Ukraine to hold out for so long.

We are proud of our people like never before! They became a model of incredible courage and heroism, dignity in the face of disaster. They do everything in their power and even more every day for our victory, for help those who are in need now.

Our incredible team in these 70 days helped more than 1,200 women and children leave Ukraine for Europe and start living in safety, in comfortable conditions. Before that, when they fled to Odessa from their regions where hostilities or occupation are taking place, they lived in the temporary shelter of the Way Home. They received hot meals and all necessary goods here. The children spent their time with benefit and pleasure: they sculpted ceramics, drew, made hand-made, studied English, just communicated, told their stories, because after what you have experienced, you just need to talk with someone...

We continue to chat with refugee families, we advise them, mainly on legal issues. All of them have successfully settled in different countries, they receive services and assistance there and are very satisfied. Our German friends bought new minibus for the Foundation, thanks to that we take more people every day to the border checkpoint.

We have found that more and more families who arrived in Odessa want to stay here or cannot go abroad for various reasons. Some are planning to wait out the “hot” period and come back to their homes. Still, Odessa is a safer place now than their cities, for example, Kharkov, Mariupol or Kherson. However, as a rule, they have very little money, because most of them have been out of work since February.

There are quite a lot of apartments in the city, hotel rooms are rented at a reduced price now. Therefore, we decided to launch a new direction of assistance. We are looking for housing for IDP families with children and rent it at the expense of the Way Home. Families either pay only utilities or pay part of the rent, depending on their ability. We provide these apartments with the necessary furniture, utensils, bed linen for comfortable living of the family.

Another important area: humanitarian assistance to families in Odessa who is in difficult circumstances, without income, including because of the war. We have distributed over 1,000 large food packs during this time, about a ton of clothes, shoes, hygiene products, diapers for children.

The products of our social cafe have already become famous in the city. Every day our chefs prepare up to 300 delicious hot meals, dough pastries. They are received not only by low-income families, but also by volunteers who help protect our city.

We also deliver to the low-income families and to volunteers artesian water, which we extract on our farm. For example, this is how we help the people in Mykolaiv, where the water supply system was damaged due to the bombing.

Our Foundation continues these activities, although the prices of gasoline and food products have risen significantly and their availability has declined. We know that this is exactly what is urgently needed now!

And we are infinitely grateful for your donations, which made it possible to continue our project, which is extremely important for the life and safety of the Ukrainian people!

So the one month of the war in Ukraine has passed. We cannot believe. It actually seems like a whole year or two has passed. And we still cannot accept that this is all happening to us.

But we'll think about it later. And today it is important to help those who need it most. Indeed, a huge number of people want to help people in Ukraine. During this month, the Foundation received donations from more than a thousand caring people from all over the world. This unprecedented solidarity gives us more and more resources and strength to cope with the challenges posed by war.

The Way Home Foundation team has streamlined all operational processes to maximize the effectiveness and coverage of the emergency assistance program for those affected by the war with Russia.

The number of refugees who receive comprehensive services: food, temporary housing and transportation by mini-van to travel abroad is increasing to 60 people a day.

While they are staying with us, the teachers of the Foundation engage children in pottery, drawing and playing. This is very important, because it distracts them from sad thoughts and alleviates the effects of stress experienced.

We have found good partners in Moldova, Romania, Germany, France and in other countries who meet our ward families, they help them find accommodation, assistance and process paperwork. All families are very happy with how they were received there and they send us photos from European cities.

Our bakery has evolved into a social cafe serving a variety of hot lunch meals daily for over 300 servings and thousands of different baked goods. We deliver food and artesian water for low-income families, for refugees (at the train station) and for volunteers.

All of our employees work in their places. Several women from our local Crisis Center have also joined in cooking and baking and they can earn money in this way.

We also started to work with the reception and distribution of humanitarian aid for low-income families: clothes, shoes, hygiene items in Odessa and Mykolaiv. More volunteers have joined us and they help us a lot.

We are sincerely grateful for the words of support and kindness that you write to us.

Slava Ukraini!

These days, our usually quiet yard at 10 Sofiivska street has turned into a beehive. Everyone is in a hurry, buzzing, collecting, meeting, sending...

Restaurateurs have joined us together with volunteers. Our social café is constantly preparing not only pastries now, but also hot lunches, which have already been appreciated by the defenders at checkpoints and immigrants from other regions, thousands of whom come to Odessa city every day. We distribute hundreds of food kits every day for families in need and for refugees including right at the railway station.

Today we have given shelter and meals for about 30 immigrants - women with children from Mykolaiv region in our social hostel whom we will take away to Moldova border soon. More than 250 of our wards are already live abroad in safety.

And while they are visiting us, the tutors of the Foundation hold classes with children on pottery, drawing, playing games with them. This is very important because it helps distract them from sad thoughts and reduce the effects of stress.

We also improved the equipment of all the bomb shelters in our neighborhood, because there was absolutely nothing. We have brought water, blankets, hygiene items, some furniture to make it more comfortable for those who are hiding there.

We receive a lot of support from Odesa residents and from abroad. I was moved to tears when one elderly man brought today, as he said, “everything he could for the children”: a few packs of flour, cereals, shampoo... Endless gratitude for your open hearts!

Together we stand! Slava Ukraini!