In May 2022, during a difficult time in Donetsk, Ukraine, the Khudoliy family faced a scary situation. Their town, Lyman, was being taken over by Russian forces. Their home was damaged, so they often had to hide in their neighbor’s basement. When there was a break in the fighting, they cooked at home because there was no electricity or phone service.

One day, while cooking, a bomb hit their yard. It destroyed half of their house. Kateryna, the mother, and her two older kids got out in time, but sadly, her youngest son, 11-year-old Vladimir, didn’t make it. Kateryna and her daughter Anastasia were hurt by the blast. Kateryna’s mother, Zina, who lived in the same town, also got injured by falling on glass in a shelter.

After this, their house was completely ruined, and Lyman was controlled by the Russians. They lost everything, except for photos of their late son, Vladimir, which meant a lot to them.

During and after the occupation of Lyman, Kateryna and her kids stayed with someone from their village. They grew their own food to survive. The kids could study online again once the town was free. Kateryna had problems with her husband and decided to leave him.

With no home and nowhere to go, they asked our group for help to find a safer place to start over. That’s how they came to our Hope and Healing center.

Right away, our volunteers gave them food, things for personal care, beds, kitchen items, and clothes. We helped Kateryna find a job. Our team started helping the kids too. Leon, 17, and Nastia, 15, are still very upset from what they’ve been through. They have a long journey to feel better and get used to living in the big city.

The family also needs to find a permanent home and buy clothes for different seasons, as they lost everything. Most importantly, the kids need to keep learning. For example, Nastia likes making bead art and wants to be a teacher.