“Hard times make you stronger and help you realize the importance of helping others. I do my best to be useful to my community in this difficult time,” says Maryna.
A Ukrainian mother, Maryna left home with her children once they’d lost electricity, water, and gas because of the conflict. Heading west, they faced a long road but eventually settled near Dnipro with the help of relatives.
Starting over was difficult. Maryna had no job and no friends nearby, and she didn’t know anyone who could help her navigate applying for state assistance and humanitarian aid.
One day, other displaced people told Maryna about a resource center in Dnipro, run by IOCC’s local partner Eleos-Ukraine. She decided to visit, and that’s when everything changed.
With funding from partner UMCOR, IOCC is helping the Eleos team provide consultations with social workers, psychologists, and lawyers, and providing emergency aid like food, clothes, and medicine. Maryna and her children can now receive all this support as they rebuild their lives.
Perhaps most important for Maryna, the center became a place to make friends. She’s connected with displaced people like her from all over Ukraine.
“Before I started visiting the center, my life was very difficult,” Maryna said. “I had a feeling nobody cared about me and my children, and I didn’t know whom to approach for help. The center became a place where I started feeling secure and feeling that I can be also useful and help others in my community.”
We’re grateful to serve alongside committed partners like Eleos Ukraine to serve Maryna and so many others whose lives have been upended by conflict. Every day, thousands visit this center, and even in these very difficult times, Eleos staff smile and ask, “Can I help you?
