Charity no. 1208811
Appeal for Funds
The Context
Ukraine Chain [UC] is a British registered charity which works for the relief of poverty and suffering amongst Ukrainians. It is at present not oriented towards the needs of those who have already become refugees and left Ukraine, but only those who remain, particularly in dangerous circumstances near the front line.
As a charity, it cannot concern itself with the military objectives of the Ukrainian state, though it can and does provide moral support to those who are serving in the army.
Our partners, a church at Ciudei in SW Ukraine, in combination with a Romanian church at Beclean, near Cluj in the north of that country, with the support of UC have made many aid trips to the Donbas now – eighty-five at the last count. The title of the combined venture is ‘A Step towards Salvation’[1]. AStS is an informal organisation in which everyone is a volunteer and most have a chaplaincy role. It transports material aid to communities under bombardment in the Donbas, but even more importantly, visits and delivers moral and spiritual support to those who exist in dire circumstances, in danger and in fear. Even if a cease-fire is declared in the near future, the needs noted below will continue, maybe for a considerable time.
[1] In Romanian, ‘Un Pas spre Salvare’, and in Ukrainian, ‘Krok do Spacinnya’. The abbreviation used here is ‘AStS’.
Our objectives for the foreseeable future are:
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To deliver, on a weekly basis, staple foodstuffs to the remnant populations in the front-line towns and cities of the Donbas, particularly where the bulk of the inhabitants have been evacuated, but the weak and elderly tend to remain. This activity has already commenced. It involves buying staple cereals such pearl barley and Bulgar wheat within Ukraine (where they are grown), housing them in a local store, and distributing them in a small vehicle, to one town per day of the week. We have an individual in-post (Andrei) and he has been provided with the use of a flat in Izium, a store and a small van (below). His task is to package up basic foods and other necessities and distribute them. Where possible, this is done on the basis of home visits. Andrei takes the time to talk to the members of each household, to understand their needs, and to pray with them. This is therefore a chaplaincy-based approach which gives priority to the cost in mental trauma of living under bombardment. The cost of this service is £700.00 per month. This includes Andrei’s salary at 100 Euros/ month, fuel and other minor overheads, and aid packages at 10 Euros each. This activity is also supported by Operation Blessing from the USA.
Delivering Basic Foodstuffs
2. AStS’s main vehicle, a Mercedes Sprinter van, which does the long-distance work across Ukraine, has had to be replaced with one rather younger, less worn and crucially, less rusty. The replacement, a VW Crafter long-wheelbase van, has been identified, and will need some conversion with an extra row of seats and windows to the front part of the existing load bay. Our contribution to the overall cost is £9000.00.
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VW Crafter Van
Supporting Military Chaplains
We are in close touch with Ukrainian military chaplains in the Donetsk oblast (region). The situation they face is very severe, as 90% of Ukrainian men aged 25 – 60 are eligible for call-up, if not already serving in the army. A tour of duty is three years, and there is little leave for more than a couple of days away from the front line. They therefore form a very large needy group, being typically exhausted, traumatised and in some cases in a situation of grave moral self-doubt, for instance if they have killed in the course of their duties and find it hard to live with themselves as a consequence.
A vehicle (a second-hand Lada) has been supplied by AStS to an Orthodox chaplain, Ruslan, and this enables him to be more effective in getting to see the troops who are his responsibility – one brigade, of 3-6 battalions.
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We are planning not only to continue existing work in providing ‘time off’ events for troops, with opportunities to talk and pray together [below], but also to set up a rehabilitation centre some way behind the front line, possibly at Kramatorsk. This will enable troops, when they have a little leave, to travel only a small distance and receive expert care and therapy. We are seeking the loan of suitable premises. It is too early to state a budget.
Supporting Military Chaplains
