Love On Ukraine · Humanitarian Aid
Good Deeds wrapped in Good News
Love On Ukraine humanitarian aid through Cities Project Global — tax-deductible giving for Lighthouse Projects, emergency housing, and emotional trauma care in Ukraine.
From Refugee to Give
You may know at least a portion of my life’s story, the fascinating story of rags to riches, of a refugee escaping from communism to become a naturalized citizen in the land of the free. Born in a barn fleeing from Ukraine in WWII, becoming a refugee in Germany, transitioning to an immigrant in America and then achieving abundance in the land of opportunity.
I often used to ask God, “Why me, Lord, why this life story for me?” Then the Putin war broke out, and it all became clear very quickly. The Ukrainian portion of my heart was heartbroken and the American portion was desperate to do something…to somehow give back after all the abundant blessings I have received in my life.
It is now my turn to give back.
In May 2022, I went to be a translator in a Ukrainian refugee camp in Germany. There, I met some Singaporean volunteers; and fostered a friendship that blossomed into a 3 week trip into Ukraine and Poland in August. We understood a number of critical needs in Ukraine where we could help. We identified established organizations already on the ground meeting these needs. So, Love on Ukraine (LOU) was born as the conduit for giving.
Sandy Varney · Founder, Love On Ukraine
Gifts are processed by Cities Project Global. Be sure to type LOU in the comment field.
We are a small group of 6 people (2 in US / 4 in Singapore) not connected to any large humanitarian organization. However, our hearts are clear. We want to help the most overlooked and forgotten people in Ukraine caught up in an evil war that was thrust upon them. They are the poorest of the poor: the widowed, the orphaned, the injured soldiers coming home without limbs, and the elderly that had become homeless in bombed villages…all emotionally traumatized and without hope.
Love on Ukraine was born from the helplessness and pain that we felt for these people.
We are little and go after multiple little needs taking care of the ordinary little people caught in a war that they had no control over. They have lost their homes, their communities, their livelihood, their family members or loved ones…yet they continue in hope.
We have built a powerful little army on the ground in Ukraine of little people just like us. They have paused their lives, embraced the cause and gone out to help wherever they are led by God. We pray and raise resources to support their efforts. We are a team that stays in touch across the oceans almost every day. That is the beauty of “small”.
Like Jesus, we are driven…compelled by deep compassion for these people and Ukraine, to give them hope for their earthly situation…even more, hope for heaven.
Pillar 1
The urgent needs on the military frontline have increased exponentially as the war continues. We have implemented a variety of Lighthouse Projects that provide specific needs as well as a steady flow of generators, medical supplies, humanitarian aid to soldiers on the front lines and Ukrainians living in villages nearby.
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Pillar 2
Another urgent need on people’s hearts that we heard repeatedly was Housing. The devastating, destructive effects of the war have left people without adequate shelter or resources for weather protection and rebuilding.
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Pillar 3
With almost the same heartbreaking urgency, we heard about the Emotional Trauma that this war has inflicted on adults and children alike. Much healing over several generations will be needed before the Ukrainian people can feel secure peace in their hearts again.
Learn MorePlease consider giving as your heart directs to at least one of these three needs.
Donation InformationPillar 1
Abbreviated clips of the first two Lighthouse Projects are shown here.
This 4 year old girl is from Mariupol – a city that’s been occupied and 95% destroyed. She and her family are now refugees. She wouldn’t let go of the toy and listened to it for hours. She told her fellow refugee friends: “listen to the lamb, Jesus is talking to me. He is here.” We pray that the word of God ministers and heals. There’s no words sometimes when you see the brokenness and pain that only God’s Word alone can comfort and heal.
Because refugees have lost almost everything they have, this may be the child’s only toy. And this toy has the audio Bible and also children’s worship songs in the Ukrainian language.
Bread of Life and Living Water Lighthouse project was birthed from this video. A pastor was compelled to seek Yarik’s help to build a bakery and dig a well in a village only 5 miles from the front lines across the river. The water in the village was contaminated. He thought if he could provide a well with clean water for the village, and gave out warm bread when people came to the well, it would provide hope and build community in the village.
Who knew that a few months after the bakery and well were completed, the Russians would destroy the dam and flood that area…God did. Now many parishioners act as volunteers caring for the people that come for aid. Since the dam blew up, people have learned about our well and 800 cars are coming every day for water. Our well is providing fresh water for over 1,000 people each day. LOU is thrilled to have God use us in this way.
Audio Stuffed Animal Distribution
Providing stuffed animals that tell audio children’s Bible stories in Ukrainian. Refugee and orphaned children seek comfort cuddling and listening.
Drinking Water & Baking Bread Lighthouse
Lyman, a village just 5 miles from the Russian front, was severely destroyed with Russian bombing attacks. The main water source is contaminated so fresh water is in short supply. A church pastor wanted to create a community gathering place by creating a bakery and drilling a well. This was a vision of “Good News & Good Works” where people now come to pick up warm baked bread and fresh water while they hear about the news of “Bread of Life and Living Water”.
Trips to the Military Front Lines
Bringing humanitarian supplies to wounded soldiers. Equipping temporary holding military facilities with medical supplies, operating room equipment and generators requested by doctors providing palliative care to injured soldiers waiting to be transferred to a permanent hospital to receive definitive treatment.
Trips to Village People Still Living inside the Military Zone
Bringing generators, clothing/food supplies and “minus 20° below” sleeping bags. This was especially critical during the horrific winter weather when the Russians destroyed 75% of Ukraine’s energy grid on Thanksgiving Day. Pastor Andeij visits these areas every 3–4 weeks bringing 2–4 truckloads of urgently needed humanitarian aid to hospitals and villages alike. He risks his life every trip.
Visiting Regional Rehab Centers where Injured Soldiers Return for Definitive Care
Providing emotional support, prosthetic and personal supplies to soldiers returning for orthopedic surgeries. They suffer from PTSD, traumatized by their battlefield combat experience and frequently wrestling with permanent lifestyle changes due to loss of limbs.
I have so many stories to tell and not enough space on a written page to do them justice. For me it is not just raising money for shelters against the harsh winter, or humanitarian aid to traumatized people trying to survive the destructions of war. It is also about connecting people’s hearts across the ocean so both sides feel God’s love at work giving both Hope and Comfort.
The best part: God is in the middle of everything we do. Everyone who receives anything, is told that this is a gift from the Lord delivered by us.
Pillar 2 · My Home
My Home is providing temporary housing in villages devastated by bombings as people try to rebuild permanent homes on their plot of land covered with the rubble remains of their previous home.
My Home project, an initiative to provide emergency housing for the villages of Moschun, Bucha, Irpin. My Home has currently delivered 310 prefabricated homes. They have also established food and clothing distribution centers in the villages and have held community gatherings over barbeque dinners to encourage fellowship and a sense of community.
Each prefab home can be delivered and installed in a 2 week timeframe on a family’s home lot. These homes shelter families from the harsh winters and continue as a place for families to live while they start to rebuild their permanent home.
Please donate money to build a house, multiple houses or just a portion of a house. Type “LOU: MyHome” in the comment box.
Pillar 3 · Mission to Ukraine (MTU)
Mission to Ukraine (MTU) meets the needs of the most vulnerable
Ira, who heads up MTU, and her staff work tirelessly to bring dignity, hope and assistance not only to the most vulnerable people — people who often have no voice in Ukraine society — but now also reaching out to people that have been traumatized during these difficult times of war, especially children.
Crisis Pregnancy Center
They serve pregnant women who have lost their husbands and are facing life defining decisions amidst incredible hardships. They walk beside women who have chosen to carry their babies to term and provide emotional support and financial assistance for 18 months after the birth.
Families in Need of Help
An outcrop from the crisis pregnancy center are families in need of further assistance, such as those with special needs children and their siblings who are often lost in the shuffle as the family struggles with the high care demands of a special needs child. There are 500 such families that are presently being supported. There are another 180 more families in need of various help.
Community Help
MTU has expanded their focus in this horrific war time to work even more closely with local churches. They have helped LOU to build Lighthouses, organize soup kitchens and deliver humanitarian aid in Zhytomyr and neighboring regions. A million refugees have come through their city since the war began February 2022. MTU is partnering with pastors to use church space to provide shelter, food kitchens and humanitarian aid to these refugees on their journey.
Please donate to MTU for the above needs. Type “LOU: MTU” in the comment box.
To give a tax-deductible donation online by credit card or e-check:
Cities Project Global processes Love on Ukraine donations and absorbs all the processing costs. That is why typing “LOU” in the comment field is critical.
Ready to give?
Tax-deductible receipt from Cities Project Global.
For further information about our work in Ukraine please email Sandy personally. She will respond quickly by phone or email.
SandraDVarney@gmail.comSandy’s story
I promised my family that I would NOT enter Ukraine if the war continued to intensify. With continual prayer, I knew God would guide my decision. I did not contact my relatives in Ukraine before the trip.
Once inside the borders of Ukraine, I reached out to my relatives to say that my feet were standing on Ukrainian soil. You can imagine my cousin’s shocked surprise and my tearful delight. She insisted on coming to see me so I found a day where I was not critical to the team. My cousin Olya and some of her family traveled 3 hours from their village to meet me in my hotel in Kiev. The challenge was that Ukraine had a 10 o’clock curfew, so they had to be back home by then.
The reunion was emotional beyond description. After an initial flood of tears, we jumped in right where we left off the last time I had seen them 15 years ago….and never stopped… trying desperately to take advantage of our brief time together that we were so grateful for.
Midday, the Singaporean team surprised me with getting rooms for my relatives in the hotel so they did not have to travel back the same day. My cousin Olya and I talked and giggled into the early hours of dawn like two college kids.
Yes. Love On Ukraine donations are processed through Cities Project Global, a U.S. nonprofit, so you receive a tax-deductible receipt. Type LOU in the comment field when you give.
In the comment box on the donation form, type “LOU: MyHome” for emergency housing, “LOU: MTU” for Mission to Ukraine, or both.
$4,000, delivered and installed on site. Each home is “walk in and live” ready, fully furnished with new living necessities, and comes with a Welcome bag of Christian material of hope and food staples. You can give toward a whole house, multiple houses, or just a portion of a house.
A small group of 6 people (2 in the US, 4 in Singapore), not connected to any large humanitarian organization, supporting trusted people already on the ground in Ukraine. Love On Ukraine was founded by Sandy Varney.
Email Sandy personally at SandraDVarney@gmail.com. She will respond quickly by phone or email.
Related from CPG: In the Midst of War: Faith, Work & Taking Action · loveonukraine.org
Love On Ukraine
Please consider giving as your heart directs to at least one of these three needs.
