On the ground, hands on, transparent

Ukraine Children’s Action Project (UCAP) Thanks you!

January 2023 Bulletin

Greetings!

Above: Some of the 5th grade students who have fled war torn communities and received computer tablets from UCAP to enable them to access their new textbooks and participate in on-line learning. To date, 500 have benefitted.

First and foremost, we want to thank you so much for your support of Ukraine Children’s Action Project (UCAP)! 

You have been responsive and generous, making an enormous difference for so many children and families.

Together, in 2022, we have raised and committed nearly $600,000 in grants to incredible organizations in Ukraine and Poland. We are amazed, but not surprised. You have responded to an extraordinary and heartbreaking crisis in Ukraine.

And, with your continued support in 2023 we hope to raise and distribute at least $1.5 million to our partner programs and organizations doing amazing work for Ukraine's most vulnerable children and youth.

Just to remind you, we are committed to making sure that your contribution, in whatever amount, is accountable to provide help where and when it’s needed – as rapidly as possible.

We don’t just buy generators and wood-burning stoves for Ukrainian families, communities and schools. We know where they will be delivered and who will benefit. So far, 338 have been purchased and delivered and thousands will benefit. This is good but so many more families and communities need help to get through the brutal winter.

We send pediatricians for special training and are about to roll-out a sophisticated on-line training program for teachers dealing with traumatized children.

And we support phenomenal “Recovery Camps” that have helped nearly 1200 children and moms work through the terrible trauma of war. We plan to expand support for these programs in 2023.

As UCAP’s reputation continues to grow among organizations and government officials, we are fielding more and more requests to help.

Just recently we are heard from organizations caring for Ukrainian refugee families, not just in Poland – but in the Czech Republic, as well.

In addition, our intrepid UCAP volunteers, Vlad and Kety, contacted us recently to say they had just returned from Chernihiv, a region north of the capital, Kyiv, right on the Russia/ Belarus border. They told us that Russian troops, before they were expelled by Ukrainian military, had briefly occupied Chernihiv, and went on a rampage destroying or stealing every vehicle they could find.

That left no school buses for kids to get to school. Vlad will be helping us identify used school buses to purchase in Germany that we can deliver to Chernihiv. We will be able to acquire 5 buses for about $60,000 enabling hundreds of children to attend school in person!

Meanwhile, our regional director in Lviv, the incredible Yuliia Kardash has been visiting every program we fund as well as new organizations we are considering working with in 2023. Andriana, our translator has been incredible. And Kevin McCabe has moved to Warsaw to support our communications and programs for the youngest refugees from war-torn Ukraine. 

Finally, Karen and I will be headed back to Poland and Ukraine in the beginning of February. Our plan is to visit every program we’re supporting. Expect more follow-up!

And to help you stay informed, follow UCAP on social media channels below.



Be well - and many, many thanks!

Karen and Irwin