We continue to provide food assistance to families of internally displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes due to war.
In July and August, we visited displaced individuals from the occupied Oleshky region, as well as immobile individuals from Kherson Oblast. However, for now, I’d like to share what struck us the most – the bravery and faith with which these people overcome their difficulties.
64-year-old Lyudmyla Vasiliyeva and her husband Vasyl are displaced from the frontline town of Chornobaivka in Kherson District. Her husband has a first-degree disability and is bedridden.
“We didn’t experience the horrific flooding because our house was bombed long before the flood – about a month after the war started. We miraculously survived and had to evacuate. We were taken to Mykolaiv, where we were accommodated in a temporary settlement for displaced individuals. Over 20 people slept in one room on mattresses on the floor. My husband was given a thin children’s mattress, which was very difficult for him to bear given his immobility and disability. He developed bedsores, which, as you know, are very hard to heal.
Later, an opportunity arose to move to Lviv, to a rehabilitation center for military personnel, where there were actual beds. The presence of beds became a true source of joy and relief for us. Without hesitation, we moved to Lviv.
It’s been a year and a half now that we’ve been living in this room. This is not the kind of elderly years we dreamed of when I worked diligently as an accountant, and Vasyl worked as a driver. We worked, saved money for a home, furniture, appliances. But in a moment, the Russians bombed and destroyed everything. We have nothing left, but we’re grateful for the fact that we’re alive.
We’re alive solely thanks to our military men and women, who protect us at the cost of their own lives. My son and nephew also serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It’s very difficult when we don’t hear a word from them for a long time and wonder if they’re alive. But with God’s help, He has preserved them until this day.
I’m deeply grateful to the volunteers from “Operation Blessing” for their work and for trying to help us. Thanks to your support, we feel better and more comfortable. Thanks to you, we have food, and we can save a significant portion of our budget. Thanks to these savings, we can buy medications that alleviate my husband’s difficult illnesses,” Lyudmyla tearfully expressed her gratitude.
Thanks to the regular support from “Operation Blessing”, we’re able to provide food packages to tens of thousands of families every month. People who have lost their homes and sources of income rejoice upon learning that they are not alone in their struggles. We want to continue helping.
You can join our projects here:
https://helpua.org/ua/home-1/
Anna Chaban, CBN-Emmanuil
