Ukrainians are resilient but weary after the long summer of turmoil. As one woman said, “During the day we work hard to rebuild, to repair, and to restore, but at night we cry into our pillows.” She is one of the many people whose property was severely damaged during the conflict. CAM reaches out to such people in distress by providing crucial aid and pointing people to Christ. Your generous funds have helped CAM provide relief for Ukraine in the following ways:
Food: The need for food arose early in the conflict as people fled their homes and jobs no longer existed. Store shelves in Eastern Ukraine became bare, which affected the food supply throughout the country but especially in areas of conflict. CAM ships food from the USA and purchases food from other parts of Europe to help meet this basic but vital need. Some Ukrainian brethren cried at the sight of food and the kindness and support of others.
Medical care packs: The war broke many supply chains and destroyed factories and infrastructure that played a vital part in keeping products flowing. This makes it difficult for Ukrainians to find good medicines. CAM created a kit containing 34 medical items, using the advice of several doctors to determine which medicines to purchase and how much of each medicine to include in the kit. These items range from cough medicine for children to blood pressure medicines for the elderly. The kits also contain bandages, gauze, and other practical first aid items.
Christian literature: Many hearts are soft and open from all that people experienced through the war. When our staff and contacts reach out to Ukrainians to show them the compassion of Jesus, they come across unique opportunities to pray with refugees and to offer a copy of the New Testament and Christian literature as ongoing encouragement. Some people choose to follow Christ. Others recommit their lives to faithfully serve the Lord.
Rebuilding projects: Mass destruction took place in many villages and some cities amidst the clashes. CAM is enabling Ukrainian churches to rebuild homes in their community by using resources from donors like you. The goal is to fix damaged homes in areas where the conflict is no longer active before the houses deteriorate from the damage. Ukrainians who rebuild these homes lost their jobs to the war and receive a payment from CAM for their work.
Winter aid: Many Ukrainians are looking ahead and already worry about firewood and other supplies they need to stay warm in the coming winter. Heat and power plants in some parts of the country are damaged or destroyed from the attacks. Summer will end too quickly for the people already struggling to provide the basics. We are researching ways to best meet the need for firewood, blankets, and other heating supplies before winter arrives.
