With the support of our community, Mending Roots helped a mother and her son navigate one of the most frightening moments of their lives – and come out the other side with hope.

This is Georgyi Kuznietsov. He is a bright, kind 13-year-old living in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. In the fall of 2024, he began suffering from what appeared to be epileptic seizures. After extensive medical testing, doctors discovered a malformation in the right side of his brain that was causing an epilepsy-like syndrome. Emergency surgery followed by extensive rehabilitation was the only path forward.

To proceed, his family needed to pay 170,000 hryvnia – over $4,000 – an insurmountable sum even before the war, let alone now. With your help, Mending Roots was able to provide part of the funds needed for this life-saving procedure.

Georgyi has successfully undergone surgery and is now in recovery. His latest checkups show positive progress – and most importantly, no further epileptic activity. While he still needs time to rest and regain his strength, his path forward is full of hope.

His mother shared this message with everyone who made it possible:

"Thank you to all the people who helped my son with his surgery. Georgyi still needs a lot of rest but he is recovering, thank God! May goodness return to you a hundredfold."

Moments like these remind us why we do this work. Together, we can bring hope, healing, and strength to families who need it most.

For over four years, one of Mending Roots' core commitments has been ensuring that Ukraine's most vulnerable seniors are not left behind – seen, cared for, and reminded that they are not alone.

This photo captures one of our drives delivering fresh bread and pastries to a senior center in western Ukraine. Many of the residents were evacuated from active conflict zones and no longer have family or anyone to support them. What begins as a simple delivery of food becomes something much more – a moment of human connection, a reminder that someone cares, and a quiet but powerful message: you have not been forgotten.

These small acts of presence matter deeply. For many of these seniors, our volunteers may be the only visitors they receive.

We are grateful to everyone whose generosity makes these visits possible. Together, we ensure that no one – no matter their age or circumstance – faces this crisis alone.

When a missile strike tore through Chernivtsi on July 12, 2024, it was one of the largest attacks of the month – hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles launched across Ukraine in a single day. At least two people were killed in the region. For 71-year-old Vasyl Shvets, it meant losing the safety of his own home.

The blast destroyed his kitchen and blew out every window, leaving his apartment exposed and uninhabitable – with winter approaching.

Vasyl is one of countless elderly individuals living alone, and no means to make the repairs himself. When our trusted partners on the ground in Chernivtsi reached out on his behalf, Mending Roots responded.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we were able to fund the repair of Vasyl's kitchen and replace one of the shattered windows – restoring warmth, safety, and dignity to his home before the cold set in.

These are the moments that define our work. Not headlines. Not statistics. One person, one home, one life made whole again.

In many parts of Ukraine, light is no longer something people can rely on.

When electricity shuts off – often without warning – homes are left in complete darkness. Daily life pauses. Meals go unfinished. Children sit quietly. The silence deepens. And over time, that darkness begins to weigh not only on the home, but on the spirit. Prolonged darkness does more than disrupt routine – it creates uncertainty, isolation, and fear.

With your support, Mending Roots was able to provide something simple yet deeply meaningful: lightbulbs that continue to shine even when the power goes out.

These bulbs charge while electricity is available and provide light for two to six hours during outages. It may seem small – but it changes everything. A family can finish dinner together. A child can keep reading. An elderly person does not have to sit alone in the dark. A quiet reassurance settles in – that even when the lights go out, they are not left in complete darkness.

This light restores something deeper than visibility. It restores comfort, dignity, and calm.

Thanks to you, these lights have reached the homes of those who need them most. And in each one, they carry the same message:

You are not alone. There is still light.

Lenochka's story begins before the war – with a nearly fatal car accident that left her disabled and dependent on a wheelchair. And yet, sustained by her optimism and love for life, she not only survived but built a life she treasured, in a home carefully adapted to her needs.

Then came Mariupol.

In the winter of 2022, Lenochka and nearly 200 others sheltered in basements for 18 days under relentless shelling and explosions. Through what can only be described as a miracle, she escaped the besieged city – but her home was completely destroyed, and her wheelchair lost in the chaos.

The journey to safety was long and harrowing. Constant bombardments. Repeated evacuations to bomb shelters. An exhausting train ride to Kyiv where, despite being in a wheelchair, she was mistakenly assigned a top bunk – until kind strangers stepped in and exchanged seats so she could travel safely.

At the Kyiv train station, her family finally reunited – tears, embraces, and profound relief. Given the ongoing war and the immense challenges facing people with mobility needs in Ukraine, the family made the difficult decision to arrange Lenochka's transfer abroad for continued care and specialized treatment.

With the support of our community, Mending Roots helped fund a new wheelchair to replace the one she lost, and the critical medications she requires ongoing. These were not luxuries – they were lifelines.

Her sister shared this message with everyone who helped:

"Thank you to everyone who contributed to helping my Lenochka. Her journey has been unimaginably difficult, but your kindness and support have given her hope and the strength to keep going."

The road ahead remains long. But thanks to the compassion of donors and supporters like you, Lenochka is no longer walking it alone.

Nine-year-old Nastia is a talented young artist with a bright spirit and an even brighter imagination. Living with hip dysplasia, she has endured surgery and years of treatment with remarkable strength. Despite physical challenges and constant disruptions to school from power outages, her love for art has never dimmed.

Nastia dreamed of having a tablet that would allow her to take online art classes and keep creating – especially during the long stretches without electricity that have become a daily reality in Ukraine. For Nastia, art is more than a hobby. It is a refuge, a source of joy, and a way to focus on beauty even in the hardest of times.

Thanks to your generosity, that dream came true.

Here is what Nastia wanted you to know:

"Hi! My name is Nastia and I am 9 years old. I want to say a very, very BIG THANK YOU for my tablet! It makes me so happy. I never had a tablet before, but I always dreamed of having one. I love to draw and always wanted to take online classes to learn different art techniques. And now my dream has come true – I have my own tablet! WOW

At first, I was supposed to use it mostly for art classes and new creative ideas. But since we often lose power, I also use it for school when classes go offline. It is like a big book with all information. It helps me continue learning even when the electricity is gone.

Drawing helps me forget about difficult things and focus on something beautiful. With this tablet, I can study, learn new things, and make art. It makes me feel happy.

I also wanted to share my recent winter pictures. Winter here is cold, but in my drawings it is magical and bright. I hope you like them."

Your generosity gave this young girl more than a device. You gave her continuity in learning, creative expression, and a quiet but powerful sense of hope. In a season marked by uncertainty and darkness, you helped keep her light burning.

Thank you for believing in her – and in the power of small dreams.

Behind every donation is a meal that reaches someone who has lost everything.

With your support, Mending Roots helped provide food for 195 displaced individuals – among them children – who fled Luhansk, a city caught in the crossfire, and found temporary refuge in Chernivtsi in western Ukraine.

These are people who have endured unimaginable trauma. Many have lost family members. Some have become orphans. Others carry deep physical and mental wounds that will take years to heal. What they needed most, in that moment, was something simple and human: a warm meal.

Your donations were directed to a dedicated volunteer group supporting this community. These volunteers pool resources, take turns cooking, and deliver meals directly to those in need – person by person, day by day.

It is quiet, unglamorous work. And it is exactly the kind of work that keeps people alive and reminds them that someone cares.

Thank you for making it possible.

Sometimes the most powerful thing a gift can do is set kindness in motion.

With your support, Oksana Yehorova was able to purchase much-needed medications and groceries – basic necessities that have become increasingly difficult to afford as prices in Ukraine have more than doubled in recent weeks. Knowing that her essential needs are met, even for a little while, has brought her a profound sense of security and peace of mind.

Oksana wanted to share her gratitude personally. She crafted a heartfelt thank you card – translating her words with care – and asked us to pass along her message: "Thank you. I am sending blessings to you all and wishing you strong health and peaceful skies."

But Oksana's response to your kindness didn't stop there. In the spirit of paying it forward, she opened her home to a family with children fleeing Kyiv to Romania – offering them shelter, warmth, and compassion at one of the most frightening moments of their lives.

Your generosity reached Oksana. And Oksana's generosity reached a family in crisis. That is the circle of kindness your support creates – quiet, personal, and unstoppable.

Thank you for being part of it.

Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones that quietly change everything.

Children's Residential Care Institution No. 4 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine cares for 129 children with disabilities and complex needs – many of whom rely entirely on the facility for their daily meals and essential support. For some time, the kitchen had been facing a critical challenge: without a proper refrigerator, safely storing food for 129 children had become increasingly difficult.

When our trusted partner Halyna Nikonova identified this urgent need and reached out, Mending Roots responded.

Thanks to your generosity, we were able to purchase and deliver the refrigerator the institution so urgently needed. It is a practical piece of equipment – but its impact reaches every child in that building, every single day. Meals are safer. Food is properly stored. The staff can focus on what they do best: caring for the children entrusted to them.

What may seem like a small improvement carries an enormous weight of meaning. For 129 children who depend on others for everything, it is one more assurance that they are seen, cared for, and not forgotten.

Thank you for making it possible.

Some people leave. Others stay – not out of indifference to the danger, but out of love.

Inna Mishalkina is 38 years old and lives in Mykolaiv with her husband, their two sons aged 7 and 15, and her elderly mother Nadia, 68. When the war began, Inna and her husband made a quiet but profound decision: they would not leave. Her mother needed them. So did her husband's parents, Elena and Valentin, both 84 years old and unable to relocate.

The cost of that decision has been immense. Inna lost her job when the war started. On the third day of the invasion, her husband was drafted into the military – leaving Inna as the sole caregiver for five family members, while continuing to search for work that has not yet come.

Every day, she holds her family together.

With your support, Mending Roots was able to provide assistance to Inna and her family. She wanted you to know exactly where it went:

"We really appreciate your help as all the money goes to food and medicine for the parents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Inna's story is one of extraordinary quiet strength – the kind that doesn't make headlines but keeps families alive, together, and dignified. Thank you for standing with her.

Winter in Ukraine is hard for everyone. For families living through power outages that can last for days, it can feel endless.

Her household is a full one – her children, her mother, her husband who has significant medical needs, and their beloved cat. When the power goes out, as it so often does, the darkness and cold are not just uncomfortable. For a family with medical vulnerabilities, they can be dangerous.

With your support, Mending Roots was able to purchase a generator for Nataliia's family – ensuring that through the hardest winter months, they have warmth, light, and the ability to simply carry on.

It is a practical gift with a profound impact. Because of kind people like you, they no longer face the dark alone.

When the war came to Kyiv, Vera Petrenko's world contracted to the walls of a bomb shelter.

A school worker by profession, Vera found herself – like so many others in the city – spending hours underground, waiting for the all-clear. The bomb shelter became not just a refuge but a second home, a place where neighbors became companions and ordinary life was suspended indefinitely.

With your support, Vera was able to purchase food and clothing – essentials that had become difficult to access amid the chaos and uncertainty of those early days. Your generosity gave her something practical and something deeper: the reassurance that she was not invisible, and that people far away were thinking of her.

And then, in the middle of all of it, came an unexpected moment of joy. A cat – left behind by a family who had fled Kyiv for Poland – found its way to Vera. She adopted him, and he became her companion through the hardest of days.

Vera wanted to share her gratitude with everyone who helped:

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to buy what we needed. Your kindness means more than words can say."

In the middle of war, kindness still finds a way. And sometimes, so does a cat.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of herbalists from Connecticut and New Hampshire, who donated their handcrafted herbal medicines, Mending Roots was able to send these remedies directly to Ukraine and distribute them to those in greatest need.

The response has been deeply moving.

Recipients have shared profound gratitude – telling us that these medicines have brought real relief during a time of immense emotional and physical strain. In a country where nervous systems are pushed to their limits by ongoing stress, uncertainty, and the constant threat of attack, natural remedies that calm, ground, and restore have offered something that is both practical and deeply human: comfort.

The timing could not have been more meaningful. As severe electricity outages continue across Ukraine, families are enduring long stretches of cold and darkness. Into that darkness, these small carefully crafted bottles of medicine arrived – carrying not only physical support, but a message of care and connection from people an ocean away.

To the herbalists who gave so generously of their craft, and to everyone who made this distribution possible: your kindness is reaching further than you may ever fully know.