Today I went to Velikiy Lug (one of the districts of Zaporizhzhia) and visited “Rekhovof” Christian camp which became a temporary shelter for more than eighty out-migrants from Donbass (the Donetsk region), most of whom are families with children, single mothers and pregnant women.

The living conditions are actually not so good there but the people are grateful for it! Families are dwelling together – 6-8 people in one room. The main problem of today is the coming autumn since these buildings are not adapted for cold seasons – there are no heating systems, the front doors are made of glass with cracks and leaking ceilings.

The shelter for the cold season is the primary task. The people support each other very much and do not mind staying in dormitories or two families together in a flat or a house. Many are ready to move to any region of Ukraine provided their new home is warm and offers some basic living conditions. Cities or regional centers are the most desired since it is easier to find a job there. However, rural areas will be considered as well!

If you are willing to host out-migrants for free or know some comparatively cheap options of renting – do not go pass this mutual pain and give your hand of help!

Every day kind people from local church communities and ordinary citizens of our city provide the out-migrants with food, clothes and pay for gas bottles etc. If it were not for the kind support of big-hearted people - the out-migrants would be in real trouble since many of them have not been receiving any state money for children or salaries for months and have problems with finding any new job in Zaporizhzhia.

There is a list of urgent needs of the out-migrants who are staying in “Rekhovof” camp:

- vegetables – potatoes, carrots, onion etc.;

- fruits – apples, plums etc.;

- sweets - cookies, sugar, jam!;

- children’s nutrition (baby-nutrition for a five-months old baby);

- milk, cheese;

- size four diapers;

- stationery and school clothes and shoes, school backpacks;

- children’s toys, toy-cars;

- standard first aid kit - hydrogen peroxide, bandages, brilliant green, throat as well as cold remedies, vitamins.

The families who are currently staying in Velikiy Lug were forced to flee under war fire their homes in Donetsk, Gorlovka, Snezhnoye, Torez, Lugansk…

Some of us enjoy our life in cozy apartments. However, we should sometimes leave our “comfort zone” and help people in serious troubles. All main religions of the world preach we should share our food and home with our suffering neighbour. This should also be the calling of our hearts we should always follow. It is up to us if we decide to follow it, of course.

You can personally deliver your food and clothes donations to Zaporizhzhia, Lenskaya Street 11 (Velikiy Lug district), “Rekhovof” camp.

The contact telephone numbers of the camp coordinator Elena: +38 050 788 96 44.

You are welcome to transfer your financial donations from any corner of the world:

You can also suggest you variants of temporary shelter for the out-migrants by contacting the employees of the foundation.

You can help right now!