Mona
Ukraine Relief Updates - July 2022
“We were able to deliver medical supplies to the front lines, beyond where anyone else was willing to deliver much needed aid supplies. The reality...
Life was changing very quickly for Ukraine and Europe in the early days of the Russia-Ukraine War. Here you will find a collection of updates we shared in March and April of 2022 as we responded to the needs in Ukraine and Germany.
March 3rd, 2022
Since February 28th we have been collecting needed items to send to Ukraine. Hundreds of kilos of sleeping bags, pillows, mattresses, warm clothing, hygiene items and non-perishable foods and been dropped off by neighbors and churches and companies. Thank you all for your generous donations!
This morning (March 3rd) our first sprinter van headed out to Poland to drop off 800kg of donations to be brought into the Ukraine. From the storage place in Poland the donations are being taken into the Ukraine via special entries for aid transport. The last load dropped off in Poland from another German YWAM base 2 days ago was already picked up and taken into Ukraine.
We expect our drivers to arrive in Poland in the evening. Pray with us for safety on the drive and especially for the safety of our friends from Ukraine who will transport the donations into Ukraine.
All things will be brought to Ternopil and for as long as possible from there on to Kyiv as well.
What's Next?
We are planning more trips in the coming days and weeks. Some again to the storage in Poland (mattresses and blankets winter clothes) but as well some directly into the Ukraine to bring donations of first-aid supplies and medicines.
We are continuing to collect things Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:00.
Our current focus is now: sleeping mats and bags, blankets, pillows (for beds not decorative), non-perishable food, hygiene articles, medicine and first aid, mattresses (90x200cm, only until Tuesday 08.03.22), *clothing is no longer needed
Financial donations will help finance the trips. We estimate 550€ per trip. When our team is back tomorrow we know more how much was actually required. We will keep you updated.
Financial Giving Options
In Nuremberg we will open our Space every Friday afternoon to as well give away clothing in the city. Refugees arriving in Nuremberg from Ukraine can come to The Space to pick up clothes for free.
Anything we were given in clothing donations that are not needed in the Ukraine right now we will keep here to give away to refugees arriving in Germany.
We are also registered as a place to take in and house refugees arriving from Ukraine. We are anticipating our beds to be filled any day now. Financial donations will help provide meals and housing to those who will live in our facilities.
When our immediate financial needs for all activities are met. It is our heart to pass finances on to where it’s needed most - in that case we would send funds to YWAM Slavic Ministries Ukraine Aid.
Thank you so much for helping to meet needs in this crisis.
Love from Nuremberg,
- Mona
March 6th, 2022
It’s been a full week and I am beyond grateful for the helping hands, the generosity and seeing the willingness of so many to be part of doing what we can. It has been inspiring. Дякую (Thank you)
Housing Refugees
This past week we have been anticipating and trying to prepare to receive women and kids leaving Ukraine. Friday the 4th around noon we started getting phone calls from the city office after their immediate beds were filled, wondering if our beds are still available.
By tomorrow morning I anticipate all our beds will be filled.
So far we have 2 women who came by themselves to Nuremberg and 2 families (one of 4 and one of 6) who arrived in the last days. Tonight 10 more (most likely 5 moms and 5 kids) should arrive.
We started cooking lunches with the women and have done what we can to make them feel at home. It’s a privilege to help them have a place to find rest.
One of the women shared today during lunch that she has slept like a princess since being with us. 🙏
We don’t fully know what the next weeks will look like. What programs we can offer, what everyone needs, but are trying to stay flexible to be ambassadors of Jesus in this crisis situation.
At the moment there is no government support for housing refugees. So providing housing, food, loads of washing at the laundromat, creative programs and whatever else is needed, is covered by donations given to YWAM Nuremberg for Ukraine Relief.
Some of the women have no way of supporting themselves as far as I am understanding the situation so far. So we are doing what we can to help them with the donations given. Thank you!
As well pray for all the women and families living with us to find rest and structure as they are navigating this difficult situation.
Vans to the Border
The donations finally made it to Poland after some technical hick-ups. A day later than planned but we were able to drop off all things at the border on Friday night. Thank you to our drivers Charlotte and Joel!
Yesterday morning we were able to send more essentials, with some of our friends from YWAM Hurlach to the Polish/Ukrainian border.
We are anticipating 2 transport loads in the coming week. A semi-truck will come and pick up mattresses and we will send another sprinter in collaboration with YWAM Hurlach.
We are still collecting things this week (9:00h - 17:00h) but are getting more specific now: mattresses, twin size (90x200cm) and for now only until Tuesday, blankets and sleeping bags, baby formula (not jars of baby food), feminine hygiene products, medicine, we have very specific needs from Ukraine as medical supplies are starting to run out. If you are a medical professional and can help, contact us and we can send you a list of specific needs.*
*Medicine will be given directly to health professionals in Ukraine and not stop at the storage site in Poland. Prescriptions will be translated to Ukrainian.
Everything that has been dropped off and is not needed in Ukraine is staying in Nuremberg and has already been and will continuously be passed out to refugees arriving in the city.
If you are in the Nuremberg area and want to come volunteer, check our "I Can Help Ukraine" page to see the times and ways to serve Ukrainians in Nuremberg and abroad.
Thank you for praying, giving and helping - all of these things have been seeds of hope planted in the uncertainty of times of war.
Thank you!
- Mona
March 11th, 2022
It’s been two weeks since the news about the war in Ukraine has shaped most of what we do here in YWAM Nuremberg.
Last Friday, refugees started to move into our YWAM facilities and it’s been a privilege to provide a place of rest and safety for those leaving Ukraine in these days. For at least the next 12 weeks, we have decided to make the YWAM facilities available for those coming to Germany seeking refuge. We already have 20 people living with us and beds for a few more. A couple of the people arrived in family units and are sisters, moms, grandmas and kids or just women on their own.
One of the women told us that she had 30 minutes to decide to leave Kiev or stay. She decided to leave and jumped into her car to make her way towards Nuremberg. Each person has their own story, continuously worrying how things will continue.
In the next 12 weeks we are providing housing, food, and basic essentials for anyone coming. To finance the costs of 25 people, for the next 3 months, we need to raise €37,706
Would you help us cover those costs? Cover the cost of one person living with us. You can donate for a day, a week, or a month; it’s entirely up to you!
As well, we have already sent two loads of aid to the Ukrainian border in collaboration with the YWAM center in Hurlach. We have lots more supplies and aid collected, ready to be passed on. We are moved by the generosity of many to make this project possible. We are currently waiting for an order of 10,000 Euros worth of medicines that have been donated and will be directly delivered to Ukraine.
Everything donated that’s not needed at the border we are keeping in Nürnberg. We are using the YWAM center ‘The Space’ as a local aid distribution center for refugees coming to Nuremberg. Many are arriving in Germany with very little - most of the time with nothing more than the few belongings they could quickly pack, some just with the clothes on their back. There is a need for shoes, clothes, jackets, hygiene articles, pretty much everything. We want to invite you to help us continue being hope carriers in this time.
The flood of needs, news, and predictions of the conflicts outcome are overwhelming - let's continue to be centered in God and pray for peace. May our faith and hope not cease!
April 1st, 2022
We are in the 4th week of our effort to support and serve those being impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. We currently have 39 people from Ukraine living in the YWAM center here in Nuremberg, and have already had many who stayed with us for a short time and then moved out to other places.
We have been able to help load 6 vans with food, medicine, sleeping bags, mattresses, and hygiene products that have been delivered both directly in Ukraine but also to the refugees on the borders of Poland.
In the last week, we have been able to obtain a longer term rental vehicle that will tentatively bring regularly loads of food and water to those in need.
We have transformed the YWAM ministry center into a ‘Welcome Center’ for Ukrainians arriving here in the city. A place where people can get clothing, shoes, jackets, food, hygiene items, and information. The Welcome center is now open daily for people to drop into!
Every inch of space in the YWAM center is being used in some way shape or form! Our offices turn into dining rooms during meal times, hair salons for hair cuts and manicures in the afternoon they and in the evenings it is the place where we hang all the laundry to dry over night!
Looking Ahead
As the need for help continues to grow, here is how we plan our continue helping and aiding those impacted by the war:
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Welcome Center: Open daily for refugees to get items they need. We hope to offer all sorts of activities for kids, families, and women here in the city. We have arts classes planned, Sewing workshops, language learning.
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Delivering Aid to Ukraine: Food, Water & Medicine are the things that we are packing our van full of. Our van is capable of delivering 50 boxes filled with non-perishable food. We are kicking off a campaign to invite people from around the city to help fill the boxes we have with food so that we can weekly send a load to those urgently in need.
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We will continue helping to accommodate as many people as we can.
Finances
Our initial project budget and fundraising campaign is for a 3 month window of time. 3 Months of feeding & housing people, sending vans to the border, and running the welcome center. It very well could be extended and be longer than 3 months.
Here is a live status of our fundraising campaign:
How You Can Get Involved
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Give Financially: Every Euro makes a difference. Will you support this project financially?
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Pray: We believe prayer makes a difference, check out a simple video we made about ‘How to Pray for Ukraine’ in this time
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Help spread the word about this project with your church, neighbors and friends! We need as many people as possible to come and get involved in serving and helping.
April 8th, 2022
In Nuremberg we have accommodated more than 40 people in the YWAM Center. What does that actually mean? Caleb, who is leading the team that coordinates accommodating people here, gives a small overview as to what that looks like in the day-to-day.
How Is YWAM Nuremberg Supporting Those Impacted by the Ongoing War?
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Donation Center: We are collecting donations of aid that can be sent to Ukraine as well as items that can be given to Refugees in Nuremberg. Check out current list of what we are collecting.
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Welcome Center: Our Ukrainian Welcome Center is open daily
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Accommodating Refugees in Nuremberg: The YWAM center has been accommodating anywhere between 30-40 Ukrainian refugees. Check out the Video about how we are doing that.
Week 5 Project Updates
We are constantly adjusting our project as the situation and needs in Ukraine are continually changing. As we have seen a decline in the amount of items that are urgently needed in Ukraine being donated (food, medicine, hygiene supplies), we are now purchasing items ourselves and delivering them to Kiev.
Our initial project budget had planned to pay the fuel costs of delivering aid but not to purchase the aid itself. Now, the only way to continue bringing the needed goods is buy it ourselves. The benefit of this new approach is the we are able to purchase exactly what the YWAM center in Ukraine needs/wants and often items not . The YWAM center in Kiev then distributes the aid and supplies directly to homes in the Kiev region.
The downside, is that we need more finances than we originally projected. To be part of the continues relief effort… Partner with our project financially HERE.
Here Is What You Have Been Part in Making Happen Over These Last 5 Weeks…
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7 vans filled with much needed aid, medicine, food, sleeping bags, hygiene products, and water have been sent directly to Ukraine.
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Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees have been served here in Nuremberg and been able to get much needed clothings, strollers, jackets, and help.
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The welcome center has been offering Ukrainians language lessons, haircuts, manicures, art therapy, & kids programs.
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More than 40 people have been able to live in the YWAM center.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE. YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF UKRAINIANS BOTH IN UKRAINE AND THOSE WHO HAVE FLED TO GERMANY.
How You Can Get Involved?
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Finances: We need your financial support to continue doing what we are doing. Give financially here
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Volunteer: We need drivers, helpers, cooks, and so much more! Here is the list of volunteer help that we need.
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Pray: At the end of this video, Caleb shares ‘How can we be praying for refugees in Germany’ Check it out on Youtube.
Live Gunding Status
April 19th, 2022
Another vehicle has been filled and delivered supplies to Ukraine!
THANK YOU for helping to send an 8th load of supplies & aid to Ukraine!
Thank you for your generosity and being part in the continued effort to bringing relief to those in Ukraine. Because of YOUR giving, we have been able to completely fill another vehicle full of much needed aid.
We made a short 'Thank You' video to give a small glimpse into the day we packed and sent out the most recent load of aid to Ukraine. An 8th van filled with food, diapers, and the basic necessities needed by people in Ukraine.
We have plans to deliver aid to Ukraine every week!
But We Can't Do It Alone
Here is how you can help support those impacted by the war in Ukraine:
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€30 fills 1 box with food & supplies
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€150 fill 5 boxes with food & supplies
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€650 fills a vehicle with fuel to deliver food & supplies
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€2,500 fills and entire vehicle with food, supplies & fuel
Live Project Funding Status
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