Thank You for Standing With Ukraine

After four and a half years of working in Ukraine, we have made the difficult decision to close our field there. Our hearts are torn as we prepare to leave a country that has held such a significant place in this organization. So many of our volunteers have walked the streets of Ukraine, shared meals with its people, heard their stories, and witnessed both their pain and their incredible resilience. Most of all, we have come to love the people we were privileged to serve.

Ukraine became much more than a place where we worked. It became a place filled with friendships, memories, and stories that we will carry with us long after we leave. And as we look back on these four and a half years, we are reminded that none of what happened there would have been possible without the people who stood behind us.

So, as we prepare to close this field, we simply want to say thank you.

This work was only possible because of your prayers, donations, encouragement, and willingness to stand with us. Together, we were able to serve for 24,890 volunteer hours, supported by another 5,640 hours of management and coordination.

Those hours turned into action. Our teams traveled more than 170,943 kilometers, moving over 1.1 million kilograms of supplies and goods to where they were needed. Throughout the project, 74,368 people were aided or reached. Most importantly, 2,637 people were evacuated or rescued throughout our time there.

We also operated an IDP shelter, providing a safe place for people displaced by the war. In total, 688 people stayed at our shelter.

Behind every number is a person—someone brought to safety, someone receiving desperately needed supplies, or a displaced person finding a safe place to stay. And behind every one of those efforts were donors like you who made it possible.

I would like to leave you with one short story. We evacuated a grandma out of the hot zone. After we were at staging, she tried to give us money for coming to rescue her. Our translator gently pushed the money away and said, “No, there are people who give money so we can come get you for free.” With tears in her eyes, she said, “Thank you!! Thank you!!”

That moment captures so much of what these four and a half years have meant to us. We were able to go because people like you gave, prayed, and stood behind the work.

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity God gave us to serve the people of Ukraine. We have seen His protection, provision, and faithfulness throughout this work.

Thank you for praying. Thank you for giving. Thank you for trusting us. And thank you for helping us be the hands and feet of Jesus.