From Danger to Dignity: Emergency Appeal Project gives Hope for New Beginning

On May 5, mandatory evacuation was announced in the towns of Vorozhba and Bilopillia in the Sumy region. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes and search for ways to begin a new life. As part of the Emergency Appeal project, Caritas-Spes Ukraine is supporting these people — offering not only financial assistance but also restoring hope that things will get better.

Volodymyr (name changed for ethical reasons) lived in the village of Iskriskivshchyna, just 2 km from the Russian border, before the full-scale invasion. “Because of the fighting, we moved to the town of Bilopillia. It was livable for a while, but now it’s no longer safe there either. Everyone is evacuating, so we moved to Trostianets. Our most urgent need is paying for rented housing. We also left behind our apartment in Bilopillia, and we still have to pay utilities there. That’s what we plan to use the assistance for.”

Iryna (name changed) lived in the town of Vorozhba and ran her own business. “The fighting intensified, shelling became constant, and we have three children, so we had to leave.” She was forced to abandon everything to save her children’s lives. “We moved to a village in Sumy region. I plan to use the aid to pay for utilities, food, and household essentials — basically, to survive,” Iryna shares.

The compassion and love that Caritas-Spes workers offer to people in difficult situations nourish hope for the future. We are sincerely grateful to our partners from the Caritas Internationalis Confederation — without their support, we would not be able to help these people.