Humanitarian--Ukraine--Ronald McDonald House Charities TWO NEW ROOMS!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities in funding to construct two new rooms in children's hospitals in two Ukrainian cities, one in Dnipro and one in Rivne. These rooms will target families traveling from distant locations for medical care​. Each room is estimated to serve 11,000 individuals per year​. 

RMHC has partnered with the furniture store JYSK, who will provided the furnishings for these rooms, and they have secured funding for ongoing operational costs​.

Ronald McDonald House Charities is an international NGO whose mission is to provide support to families of sick children who are receiving medical care away from home​. RMHC operates in 65 countries around the world and, since 1974, has served millions of people globally. RMHC currently operates in Ukraine but with 28 hospitals on their waiting list, there is a shortage of family housing in the country.

Humanitarian -- Estonia Food Bank in Tallinn LDS Charities help Ukraine and refugees

LDS Charities provided the Estonia Food Bank to purchase food for Ukraine. 

Once a month, when purchased food comes to the warehouse, located in Tallinn, the food is loaded on trucks, driven to Ukraine and dropped off at a hub in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Estonia food bank also provides for the Ukrainian refugees who have fled Ukraine and are residing in Tallinn and surrounding communities.

Estonia Food Bank helps the vulnerable population through other donations:

The Food Bank owns trucks that deliver food to other Charities such as: The Children's Shelters, Elderly Home Care facilities, and homeless shelters.

They also deliver outside of Tallinn to 15 other cities and villages. Volunteers from other cities and villages sometimes drive to Tallinn and pick up food for those who are at home and not able to leave.

The Food Bank works with the Social Workers of the city. Each day a list of recipients is provided for those who are in need of food assistance. Once a week the recipients get 2 bags of food. One bag of nonperishable items, and the other bag of fruits, vegetables, milk and meats. If the family has more than 4 people they receive 4 bags. If the family has small children, diapers, baby care items, and baby food are provided.

The food bank is open from 8:00 AM to 10:00PM. Ukrainian refugees come from 6:00PM-10:00PM.

Local food merchants drop off "day old produce" in the evening, also canned goods from Monday through Friday. The volunteers and workers go through each item to make sure it is fresh. If an item has expired then the food bank throws it out. 

The warehouse is constantly busy with workers and volunteers. The Food Bank has 5 employees and over 50 volunteers. They work in shifts.

Estonia Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteer once a week at the Food Bank. 

The Food Bank has many local donors besides the grocery stores. Food is donated by larger businesses, private individuals, and local merchants. LDS Charities has been helping Estonia for several years. The government provides the list of people to the Social Workers, and money to help fund the warehouse. 

The Food Bank just had a campaign for the Refugees and placed boxes and signs out during  the months of April and May. The campaign ended but people still come and donate to the cause. 

Because of the crisis in Eastern Europe food prices have risen significantly. It is difficult for the director to negotiate prices with organizations outside of Estonia. Food takes a while to be delivered. Sometimes their warehouse is almost empty, then a shipment comes in and they are full again. In one week over 10,000 recipients are benefiting from the Food Bank.

Humanitarian---Ukraine

                                            Food Delivered in Ukraine for those that are in need.

      Food is separated and put into food bags by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

                                                                      72-Hour Kits

                Food is distributed around Ukraine to various organizations and families.

Kharkiv--written by Aleksey Tkachenko our Humanitarian Manager in Ukraine

"One Kharkiv citizen was very surprised when he saw a can of stew in a package with help. Then we heard repeatedly surprises from the products. In fact, humanitarian aid is not giving away a packet of macaroni and sugar with flour. This is about care and dignity even (or especially! ) in the terms of war.

We wouldn't have collected nearly 8 tons of humanitarian aid without our friends.

This is what we received and brought to Kharkiv:

- Rice - 400 kg

⁃ Buckwheat - 400 kg

⁃ Zucchini caviar - 200 cans

⁃ Canned corn - 200 cans

⁃ Beef stew - 400 cans

⁃ Sardine in oil - 400 cans

⁃ Sunflower oil - 200 bottles.

The joy of Kharkiv residents is hard to convey in these photos.

For real. Because everything was clear in their eyes, exhausted by the Russian navalo ю and at the same time full of hope and faith in our victory.

Thank you, friends, for your good heart and support of Kharkiv!

We are getting closer to victory together"

Ukraine and Our Friends We Left (An update) and Humanitarian in Balti, Moldova

 We left Ukraine on January 25, 2022. Since then there have been many things that have happened. All the non citizen missionaries went to varies places. About 24 young missionaries along with us and another couple came to Moldova. Some went to Germany, others to Canada, and some went to the States or home because they had only a short time left on their mission. The Mission President and his family just joined us in Moldova on February 21, 2022. Attacks started in Kyiv on February 24, 2022. 

Our friends tell us they have heard bombings that echo through the city. They have also heard gun shots. They have been told to stay home, and there is also a curfew for the citizens. The streets at night are quiet and eerie. Many citizens are driving west and crossing the borders into Moldova. Poland has said they would take in refugees. There were 1,900 vehicles that crossed the borders on February 24, 2022. The border lines are very long. 

I read that many civilians are camping in the subways (used as bomb shelters). The subways run deep and there are many of them. 

The airports in Moldova are closed because of the war in neighboring Ukraine, shortly after President Maia Sandu said Chisinau would introduce a state of emergency and was ready to accept tens of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine after the Russian attack.

There are three main border crossings with Ukraine Lipcani, Otaci, and Criva. Some Ukrainian citizens are moving on to Romania and further west. 

One of our favorite cities, Odesa has been invaded. 

It is very sad to see Kiev so deserted. 

In Humanitarian:

We are waiting for a request from this regional hospital in Balti that serves the northern part of Moldova. Their equipment has been dated as far back as the 1960's. They have a children's hospital wing that has 101 beds and 176 patients under the age of 18.