War in Ukraine Continues and So Do the Needs!
Thanks to your generosity, Feed the Hunger has helped thousands of people receive the help they desperately need during this extremely difficult time. Here are some of the highlights:
- As soon as the war started, Feed the Hunger quickly jumped into action, sending food to help displaced Ukrainians. To date, 2,936,600 Packathon meals have been packed and shipped to our partners there.
- Supporters like you have provided hundreds of cold-weather items like winter coats, blankets, heaters, and fuel to refugees who live in harsh conditions with few resources.
- Temporary housing has been constructed for two families of up to five people using converted shipping containers.
- A forklift was purchased to handle shipments of aid and relief supplies.
- We have also sent nearly 3,000 Hygiene Packs containing basic items like soap, bandages, and toothbrushes.
- A total of six armored vehicles were purchased to help deliver food near the fighting and to help evacuate people from areas of intense battles.
- You sponsored summer camps and Christmas programs so children affected by the war could experience moments of Christ’s love, safety, and joy with other children.
Your prayers and support make a difference in the lives of those enduring seemingly unending chaos and destruction.
Vitally and Natalia Smolin, our Ukrainian partners, are working to meet the physical and spiritual needs of thousands of people. And YOU are helping make the work they do possible, so please continue your prayers and support!
Your contributions to Children’s Outreach (below) will be used to sponsor meals, medical supplies, and winter coats to keep children warm as winter approaches! THANK YOU!
Click here to view Photo Spread
Bible Outreach in Ukraine!
In addition to feeding people physically, your support is feeding people spiritually through God’s Word. On behalf of those suffering from the war in Ukraine, thank you for giving hope and Christ’s love by providing Ukrainian-language Bibles!
The Lion Camp: Your Impact on Children in Ukraine
“We firmly believe that every moment at The Lion Camp is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on these precious souls. As we engage in fun activities, foster new friendships, and encourage their creativity, we are sowing the seeds of hope and positivity for their future.” —Vitaliy and Natalia Smolin
Each day at The Lion Camp has been filled with excitement, adventure, and countless smiles. The campers immersed themselves in creative projects, thrilling games, and heartwarming moments, creating memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Throughout each week, these children laid aside the heavy weight of their most recent realities to enjoy a world of fun, learn new things, forge beautiful friendships, and explore the wonders of God’s Word.
Counselors have emphasized the value of trust, compassion, and understanding from a biblical perspective. Thank you for supporting our ministry partners and making The Lion Camp available to so many children. We rejoice in sharing the wonderful news that week two of camp was a resounding success! We are incredibly grateful that over 100 children had the opportunity to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ and learn about cultivating a relationship with Him.
“Witnessing their engagement and openness to the Gospel brings us great joy and fills us with hope for their future. Together, we are creating a space where the Bible comes alive, making its wisdom and promises accessible and applicable to the lives of our campers. We are honored to be entrusted with this task, and we remain committed to nurturing a deep understanding of God’s Word within each child’s heart.”
Campers experienced a profound understanding of their identities and the powerful, joyful life that comes with following Jesus. THANK YOU for being a part of their journey and for helping make a positive impact on these precious young hearts.
An Opportunity to Bring Life Change
Last year, Open Door Foundation Ukraine held a weekly youth camp for six weeks. Two of these weeks were sponsored by Feed the Hunger, thanks to your generosity. Each week, around 100 children ages 9 to 14 came from different regions of Ukraine for this wonderful time of growth and healing.
Here is a snapshot of what took place, as shared by our partners Vitaliy and Natalia Smolin:
“Hearing stories from the children about the war is very heartbreaking. Being in camp, the children have a moment to get away and enjoy a week of friendship, love, dancing, games, and having someone listen to them.”
And what were the results?
They will astound you! Hear it from the Smolins:
85% of the children accepted
Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
“Our staff stays in touch with the children, and we continually pray for the seed that was planted. God will grow it into something remarkable.”
This is amazing! I’ve never heard of a children’s camp so effective at changing lives for eternity. And you have the chance to bring this life change again.
This summer, Feed the Hunger has committed to sponsoring two weeks of camp in Ternopil starting July 31. So, time is of the essence! The total cost is $37,000. For each child, this breaks down to only $27 per day or $185 for a full week of lodging, food, activities, and love. We have emptied our Aid and Relief Ukraine fund of its final $6,000 to assist with preparation, yet more is needed.
Give TODAY and CHANGE a Life
You can change a life by sponsoring one child for a day or a full week. Or maybe you can do more and make an even bigger impact! If this year’s camp is as spiritually fruitful as last year’s, 170 of the 200 children could put their faith in Christ by week’s end! And all will receive unconditional love.
Your Faithfulness in Action
The collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and the emptying of its reservoir into the Dnieper River added to the misery of a region that has suffered for more than a year from artillery and missile attacks. THANK YOU for making it possible to provide help when it is most needed!
Your Generous Gift Working for Good
Despite the recent destruction of their aid and relief warehouse by a Russian missile strike, our partners continue to distribute food and other necessary items to those affected by the war. Because of generous supporters, Feed the Hunger could provide funds for a forklift to unload and transport food (packed by some of you!) and relief supplies. In this short video, our partner Vitaliy has a message of thanks for your gift. Thank you for not forgetting Ukrainians in their time of need and for sharing the love of Christ across the world!
Update in the Aftermath of Missile Attack, May 2023
Our partner Vitaliy asks for prayer as Ukrainian cities continue to suffer from missile attacks targeting civilian and humanitarian infrastructure.
The Impact of Your Food Packing in Ukraine
Our partner in Ukraine, Vitaliy Smolin, thanks Feed the Hunger Packathon participants like you for helping hungry people surviving in a war zone.
Ukraine Refugees Face a Hard Winter
As the war in Ukraine rages on, our partnership continues with strategic Christian leaders who are faithfully serving the Lord and their fellow Ukrainians. They are not only providing food to those in need, but more importantly, hope through Christ. And their service is now overshadowed by the risk that any of the four nuclear power plants in the country could be damaged or destroyed and create an even greater catastrophe.
Here is a further snapshot of the situation on the ground in the city of Melitopol. It is a two-hour drive from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that is in danger of failing. The population of the city has gone from 150,000 to 70,000. More want to leave but every day it becomes more difficult and dangerous. There are kidnappings and intimidation. Banks are closed. There is no gas or cellular service in the city. The people aren’t working. Prices in stores are ten times higher and pharmacies have very few medicines.
In addition to all these challenges, the winter months are going to be brutal in areas without electricity. Many are already eating outside by bonfire. The needs will be great for a variety of items to help people stay warm and survive. Some of the requests to combat the winter include:
- Temporary housing in converted shipping containers (above)
- Generators, space heaters, and blankets
- A van to transport food and rescue people from Melitopol
We also hope to sponsor a pastors retreat. The pastors are overwhelmed and becoming burned out. Here is one of our main partners, Ivan (below, far left), with two of the pastors. They know that this will be a very long and devastating war, and they are concerned about remaining strong and helping their people and the church. This will be a small conference for them to get away for a couple of days, be encouraged, share, cry, and pray with one another, hear from guest speakers, and regroup as they continue to minister and help the refugees.
Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need during this war. You are providing temporary help and eternal hope through the faithful Christians who are serving so bravely. Please continue to pray and to help financially as God leads you.
Ukraine Testimonies | We Want to Return Home
As the war in Ukraine continues, millions of refugees remain far from home and far from their normal lives. Our partners in Ukraine sent us this brief video highlighting the ongoing refugee crisis and how you, through Feed the Hunger, are coming to their aid. Not only are you sending food, but you’re also sending the assurance that someone cares for them. Thank you for your compassion and prayers!
At Work in Ukraine – Personal Testimonies
A couple of weeks ago, we shared testimonies from pastors and relief workers who are diligently working to help their fellow Ukrainians in need. (If you missed it, be sure to watch it below.) Now, we’re excited to share just a few of the personal stories from Ukrainians who received nutritious meals and support as a result of your generosity. The need is still present, so please pray that our partners have the endurance to reach even more refugees with the love and compassion of Jesus!
Feed the Hunger: At Work in Ukraine
Your gifts, prayers, and packing efforts continue to make a huge impact in the lives of Ukrainian refugees. While in Ukraine assisting with food distribution, Melinda was able to capture testimonies from pastors and relief workers facing the daily challenge of providing resources. We want to share just a few of these testimonies with you. Not only are refugees receiving nutritious meals, but they are also hearing the lifesaving message of the Gospel. Thank you again for your support—together, we can reach the most vulnerable!
A Ukrainian Child’s Testimony
In addition to providing over one million nutritious meals, generators, and vehicles, generous donors have funded two weeks of a children’s summer camp in Ukraine. Our partners at Smolin Ministries are working with Open Door Foundation to provide six weeks of rehabilitation for children who have been impacted by the war. Each week, 100 new children from various parts of the country will attend the camp and receive the essential care they so desperately need. Throughout the week they will be cared for by Christian role models and will develop new friendships, learn how to be confident and independent, and learn about Christ.
Hear directly from a child who has benefitted from attending this camp in this brief video testimony:
Thank you for helping children have a safe place to process what they have lived through and be able to unwind and just be kids! Please keep the camp, staff, and all the children in your prayers as the camp continues through mid-July.
On the Ground in Ukraine!
A report from Melinda Staples, Director of Field Ministries
Feed the Hunger knew the Russian invasion of Ukraine would create a crisis, so we immediately began planning how to get food into the country. Many churches and other groups came forward, wanting to help financially and by packing food. In March, we sent 276,480 servings of food by sea container. The following month, a foundation partnering with UPS to fly aid and relief to Poland allowed us to send 552,960 additional meals. That’s more than 800,000 servings of nutritious food for Ukrainians in need!
Although Ternopil shows no signs of war, I quickly learned that there are over 38,000 refugees here who were forced to leave eastern Ukraine. I visited numerous refugee centers where Feed the Hunger food was being given out. The refugees come from all economic backgrounds. They have lost their homes, and many have had family members killed, tortured, or beaten. Their faces show no emotion, and they are very uncomfortable talking about what they have experienced.
Some refugee centers are in churches or schools. Inside, you’ll find mattresses or pieces of foam on the floor, lined up side-by-side. People living nearby invite refugees into their homes to take showers. Though many refugees have found housing outside the designated centers, they still come by each day to receive a warm meal and a bag of food to help them during the week. These bags contain canned goods and Feed the Hunger meal packets.
Before anyone receives a meal or a food bag, they hear the Gospel. This is a great comfort to them, and many have received Christ. Refugees also have an opportunity to share privately about their experience with a pastor or counselor. The few stories I heard are too horrific to share here.
At the refugee centers and food distribution locations, I noticed many young adult refugees giving their time and energy to distribute food and help others. They all had their own tragic stories, but they said God pressed upon their hearts to stay. It was wonderful to see their love of the Lord and their enthusiasm to serve Him!
Thank you to all who have given financially or packed food for Ukrainian refugees. Feed the Hunger food is now going to areas closer to where the fighting is taking place. Your donations also allowed our partner to buy an armored vehicle to rescue people out of the warzone. At Packathons, we always say that you are doing something great. I saw this firsthand! You are changing lives, and many are giving their life to Jesus Christ. You are feeding the physical and the spiritual!
Pray for Ukraine!
- For our partners as they distribute food to hundreds of locations in Ukraine
- For the refugees who will receive the food, that if they do not know the Lord they would see and receive the hope found only in Him
- For the 600 refugee children attending a special summer camp that will allow them to feel safe and begin healing from the trauma they have experienced
- For ongoing financial needs of the summer camp and other ministry efforts
- For all the pastors and church leaders beginning to feel burned out from the constant strain of war—they need God’s special touch!
Exclusive Update from Ukraine
Melinda Staples, our Director of Field Ministries, joins us from Ukraine with one of our partners there to show how your prayers and support are being put into action. We praise God that He cleared the way through customs and gave safe passage for the food. Please keep praying for the refugees in Ukraine, as well as our partners working tirelessly to share Christ’s love with those in need! Watch this 3-minute update below.
Thank you for praying, giving, and packing. Because of you, refugees in Ukraine are receiving nutritious meals!
Food Reaches Ukraine!
All is good here. We have visited a couple of food and clothing distribution centers and spent time with one of the men organizing churches to work together. This same individual is also handling our food and has secured a warehouse location where the food will be distributed. Our food that was flown to Poland by UPS has been released from customs and should arrive at the warehouse tomorrow. I will be there when the food is unloaded and for some of the distribution.
Right now, we are staying at our partner’s camp facility. Under normal circumstances, these camps serve local children and provide a safe, Christ-centered environment. This year all the children are coming from the war areas. They are very broken mentally. Please pray for the six camps planned over six weeks, with 100 children per week.
The people here are so kind and work so hard to help each other!
Ukraine Relief Is on the Way
Please watch this 90-second video to see how the food is making its way to those most in need in the name of Jesus. Pray for a fast and safe shipping process, and continue to lift up those suffering.
Container Loading | March 22
The first container for Ukraine arrived today and we were able to load 276,480 meals! These meals will be shipped to Poland and distributed among the refugees from Ukraine. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who packed these meals. Thank you for your time, your support, and your prayers!
Feed the Hunger is working to provide food for Ukrainians suffering because of the Russian invasion. Vitaliy Smolin, head of Smolin Ministries in Ukraine, recently shared with our good friends at St. Mark’s Community Church in Burlington, NC. Please watch the excerpt above to hear from someone who knows the needs of the Ukrainian people firsthand.
As soon as we finalize all of the shipping logistics, we will be sending a full shipment of meal packets to Poland to aid with relief efforts. That’s 276,480 servings of non-perishable food designed to provide complete nutrition. We are also planning for the possibility of sending more food as the crisis continues.
That means we need to increase our food supply, and we need YOUR help! Your support will allow our permanent packing locations to pack more food for Ukrainians in need, while also helping replenish food sent to our other partners around the world. Your support will also provide assistance to Vitaliy’s ministry as well as another Christian ministry in Moldova as they care for the growing number of refugee families.
You can make a gift today! We will be sharing dates and locations of future Packathons where you can volunteer to join us in packing food for Ukraine.
Thanks so much for helping with this timely need!