Report on use of funds for Ukrainian refugee relief

From Jeff Mitchell in Moldova:

Funds donated so far have been utilized in the following manner:

• a border church that is feeding and housing refugees (feeding 1000s housing 100s)
• a church in Chișinău who is feeding and housing refugees. (Feeding and housing 100s)
• Salvation Army (2 washing machines for refugee housing use) 
• transportation of refugees from border to Chișinău 
• government facility to buy food for refugees 
• relief tent in Ukraine at the busiest border point (this is where Jeff filmed some updates)

Next steps. 

• the purchase of a 9 passenger van to use for transporting refugees and supplies. Unfortunately, we might need it to transport Moldovans out of the country, if Russian succeeds in Ukraine and also invades here as well. 
• Future idea of a refugee center.
• continue to feed and house refugees.

From Perry Stepp at the Biblical Institute in Croatia, dated last Sunday

1. Steve has longstanding connections with a children’s home (Jeremiah’s Hope) in Ukraine.  The children and workers from that home are coming to Zagreb, along with several adults from their circle.  (Steve is working long days to help those he knows and loves and many he does not know.)

Only part of this group has safely escaped their village.  Russian soldiers have encircled them for over a week and are shooting at them whenever they leave their houses.  Their village is being shelled, and the children are spending 20 hours a day in the root cellar to avoid shrapnel and stray bullets. (Some arrived in Zagreb yesterday, March 18, and more are on the way.)

Your gift has rented and outfitted two houses for this group of refugees.  One of them is a 4 bedroom, dormitory-style house for the children from the children’s home. 

(go plstepp.com, to see Perry’s latest updates)

2. One of the churches in Zagreb, Malešnica Baptist Church, has bought and renovated an old city building and named it “House of Hope” (Kuća Nade). Kuća Nade is set up as a community center.  In addition to kitchen facilities and a large gathering room, it has 14 permanent beds for people who need housing and 6 more beds that can quickly be set up or torn down.

Kuća Nade is being used as a “transit center”.  Refugees come in and receive clothing etc., as needed, along with medical care, food, and rest.  After 4-7 days, they are moved on to more permanent housing.

Currently Kuća Nade holds three families, all women with children whose husbands have stayed in Ukraine.  Today they expect to receive two more mothers with children, all from Ukraine.

Kuća Nade needs commercial-grade appliances.  Financial gifts have purchased a commercial refrigerator and industrial washers and dryers for clothes.  These gifts are providing healthy food and dry, clean clothing for the hundreds of refugees that will flow through their facility in the next few weeks.

The Institute and Kosalanova Church of Christ are aiding in many different ways with a focus on being able to provide food and housing.