Save our widowed mothers care package program
For this upcoming Women’s Day, we are asking the community to help us save a care package program for widowed and single mothers in Ukraine. This warehouse is run and managed by a women’s organization known as “Women’s Movement for the Future”. They provide humanitarian aid and support for women across war-torn Ukraine.
Currently there are two women, Valentina and Ivanka, working in a warehouse preparing care packages for widows of soldiers, single mothers, the elderly and disabled. The full-scale invasion has severely deteriorated the economy of Ukraine. Social support structures for families and job opportunities have fallen apart. Widowed and single mothers suffer particularly from this hardship. Many schools have been closed or destroyed, and they are unable to leave their homes to provide for their children. Recently widowed mothers suddenly lose their source of income overnight, leaving them vulnerable while they grief for their loss. Unfortunately, in many instances, if the body of the husband is not found, they are classified as missing and the wife will not receive any death gratuity from the government, leaving the family to fend for themselves. For this reason, a care package program was started by this charity to provide thousands of families around the country with basic necessities. Currently there is a waitlist of over 12,500 mothers waiting for their care package.
Every month, they prepare anywhere between 3000 to 5000 care packages. Each package contains sanitary items, diapers, baby formula, food for a week or whatever else the family requests. We also regularly send medicine, children’s clothing and toys which are then also distributed to refugee camps in the local area.
Previously, the warehouse was financed by personal funds and hundreds of hours volunteered. However, now as we enter the second year of the full-scale invasion, we are struggling to support them any further. Furthermore, they are having difficulty finding volunteers. Many volunteers have either been drafted or have left to support their own families, making it difficult to find new volunteers to support our program. The times are getting very difficult, and covering the costs is becoming exceptionally difficult.
How the funds will be spent:
The funds will be spent on rent and utilities for the warehouse and the care package program, as well as salaries for three volunteers. Costs for the care package program include cardboard boxes, postage, tape and other packing material. The funds will be managed by my organization and distributed to the warehouse team on a monthly basis. We have calculated that they need about $4,000 a month to cover all of this, so if we reach the goal I can support them for the next 10 months.