May 8th, 2025
67,820 people evacuated from danger to date
59 people evacuated from danger this week
32 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
All is (not) quiet on the Eastern front. Ukrainian cities suffered airstrikes on each of the last seven days. The approaching bacchanalia of Victory Day celebrations in Russia resulted in an increased number of attacks along the entire frontline. Both sides suffered losses. Two more of our Ukrainian volunteers were forcefully conscripted into the military last week. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian teams completed more than 100 missions, 40 of them in high-risk areas. One of our groups is currently in Venice, where roof reconstruction images have become part of the Ukrainian pavilion installation at the Venice Biennale exhibition. Otherwise, it’s been an ordinary wartime week.
Stories
UTC-Sponsored Work Featured in Venice Biennale
La Biennale di Venezia (The Venice Biennale) is perhaps the most important event on the European art scene. Due to the incredible prominence of the event, it serves as a vital platform to illuminate key political and social issues that inspire contemporary art. We were honored that the curators of the Ukrainian Pavilion this year have invited our long-time partners Livyy bereh to play a central role in their installation, entitled "Dakh."
Dakh in Ukrainian means "roof." This elaborate installation explores the themes of war and resistance, where the concept of shelter extends far beyond mere physical covering. The canopy of resilience encompasses not only the literal reconstruction of bombed-out structures, but also the protective architecture of community — grassroots initiatives to rebuild shattered homes, civic networks building drones, data systems to shield cities from above, and the invisible yet vital sanctuary of cultural preservation amid destruction.
Lives of Donetsk Region Civilians
The following excerpt is from our exchange with our Ukrainian volunteers. It captures the hopeless, shapeless nightmare that Ukrainians in frontline zones must face every day:
We visited a woman at the hospital who survived a bombing. At one o'clock in the morning on May 1st, her village ceased to exist. She told us: "I didn't understand what was happening, just a feeling that something was burning me, and I somehow pushed it off." It turned out that her house had collapsed, burying both her and her husband, who was sleeping next to her. But he was buried more deeply than she was, so she began digging him out.
At that moment neighbors ran up saying, "Don't bother — everything's gone there," and they simply pulled her away from that place. But in her condition, the woman was still trying to do something, still trying to dig out her husband.
“Only in the morning did I understand that something was wrong with me," she said. As it turned out, she was wounded. She had shrapnel in her stomach, in her back, and in her left side. Military personnel took her to the hospital where the doctors performed surgery on her for about seven hours. Her husband did not survive.
We understood that we couldn't help her. All we could do was listen and support her with our presence. She was very grateful that we took the time just to listen, that we sympathized, held her hand, and encouraged her with words of hope.
While we were there, a man of about 40 came in. He was from her village. She was so happy to see him, saying: "My savior! How is the village?"
He began to speak. He talked for a long time, but almost everything he said was curses. "Our village is gone," he finally said. He still had a car, but he no longer had a home. Thank God at least the car was intact, so he loaded all his remaining belongings into it and now he lives in his car.
Final Push on Agricultural Project Seed Distribution
We are incredibly proud of the teams we support. In the last week, despite the airstrikes, despite extreme difficulties in navigating Ukrainian roads due to draft police checkpoints, our teams managed to reach 10 towns. This week they mostly completed the seed distribution stage. 3,200 families received aid, including 1,200 near Beryslav, 100 families in Izyum and as many in Balakliya. The next stage, which will begin in the coming weeks, will be the distribution of seedlings that have been meticulously prepared by the suppliers. Suppliers provide these seedlings at a discount, selling them almost at cost, knowing who they will be distributed to and how crucial such aid is at this difficult time in Ukraine.
Help in Occupied Territories
83 families received help in occupied zones.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
12 trips, evacuating 59 people Kostyantynivka, Lyman, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Shahevo areas.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
19.45 tons of aid distributed.
7,950 helped; 6,600 people received bread.
37 locations visited. 10 of these were in deoccupied zones and high-risk areas.
Seeds distributed to 3,200 people.
Kherson Operations:
6 buildings restored through disinfection and deratization.
Delivered supplies to 4 families trapped in Kherson red zones.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): provided reusable diapers and baby food to 120 families In Sumy who live under daily shelling. Delivered 1.5 tons of aid to the team’s warehouse in Ukrainka (Kyiv Region) and 400 kg to the warehouse in Boyarka, all for further distribution. Provided baby formula, diapers, wet wipes, and toys to an internally displaced (IDP) family in difficult circumstances in the Vinnytsia Region. Distributed 350 kg of food kits, baby food, and diapers to IDPs and other groups in difficult circumstances in the Boyarka area and nearby villages of the Kyiv Region. Delivered a total of 2,200 kg of aid to the villages of Nova Oleksandrivka, Brantsivka, and Krasnopillya in the Sumy Region.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons to Kherson.
Andryi P (Mykolaiv): brought several vehicles from abroad: Renault Midlum, Iveco, VW Turan, Peugeot Boxer, Citroen C8, Fiat Doblo, Renault Master, Mitsubishi Pajero Wagon 3.2, and Opel-Isuzu. Also brought 4,500 kg of aid from Germany and Denmark, including sleeping bags, refrigerator, bicycles, generator, carts, diapers, prostheses, lawn mowers, beds, washing machines, new clothes, shoes, medicine, food, hygiene products, and tires.
Sandra S (Odesa): the kitchen fed more than 700 people.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): delivered food (4 times), and paintings and dishware (once) to the Safe Space shelter in Vinnytsia. Delivered toys for children to a boarding school in Stryzhavka (Vinnytsia Region). Helped a family of disabled people fill out paperwork. Delivered food to a pensioner. Delivered about 70 kg of clothing and 50 kg of food to the needy in the village of Stanislavchyk, Zhmerynka District.
Serhiy A (Kharkiv): over the past month, distributed a total of 5 tons of food aid to blind residents in Khmelnytskyi, Kam'yanets'-Podil's'kyi, Shepetivka, Polonne, Marhanets’, Zaporizhia, Stryi, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Kamianske, Odessa, and Dnipro.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): delivered 4 tons of humanitarian kits, "Victory" bread, clothes, medicine, and animal feed to Lyman. Provided light summer work clothing to 50 community service workers in Shabel'kivka (Kramatorsk District). Distributed 600 loaves of “Victory” bread in the Kramatorsk community.
Artiom S (Hostomel’): brought 1.7 tons of humanitarian aid from Levkiv (Zhytomyr Region) and distributed it among the residents of Hostomel’ and Bucha.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to IDPs, disabled people, children from large families and military families, military veterans, and orphans – held 2 art therapy sessions for a total of 46 children. Took 42 students, IDPs and their families to a museum. Held a 1-day forest recreation camp for 38 children. Visited 4 veteran fairs, supporting the development of businesses for veterans and disabled people in pottery, applied arts, photography, and hairdressing. Distributed bread and other food to 70 orphaned students from the Sumy and Kherson regions and 380 other people living in IDP assistance centers. Provided glasses for 48 adults and children. Conducted 82 medical procedures to improve the health of IDP children with disabilities from the Kherson Region. Helped 45 children with prophylactic health procedures, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and gym classes. Through partners, assisted in the manufacture of prostheses and rehabilitation for 25 people.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
104 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Delivered 180 aid packages to the village of Zoryans’ke, Kharkiv Region.
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Delivered 348 aid packages in Kharkiv.
Special deliveries to 24 disabled elderly and 15 families with infants.
With increasing shelling it's becoming more dangerous for people to go outside their homes, so team needed to deliver directly to the residents.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
335 packages delivered to Novohryhorivka, and Novomykolaivka.
50 aid packages distributed to families with disabled children.
Held the first support meeting for children whose parents have died in the war, or are missing. Trained psychologists shared practical exercises and techniques for coping with such tragedies and accompanying stress.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
24.5 tons of water delivered to Nikopol.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobrо Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to internally displaced people in Pyatikhatki and Saksahan districts.
Dina’s Team — Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
Distributed 400 packages of aid in Kremenchuk, Poltava, and Kanev; mailed 100 more from Dnipro to small towns.
Paid for English lessons for people with disabilities in Dnipro.
The soup kitchen in Kharkiv served 1,550 meals.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
42 families in Zhytomyr received food and hygiene kits.
At the club for children with disabilities, children participated in weekly culinary and art classes.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Distributed 458 loaves of bread in Odesa.
Liza and Katya continue to support Odesa hospitals. 12 new wounded arrived last week, so they are now supporting 30 wounded.
How to Help
Donate — The money goes directly to teams providing aid on the ground, who respond dynamically to the most urgent needs.
Fundraise — Organize fundraisers at your school, work, place of worship, with friends and family, etc.
Spread the word — Share our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Bluesky Social with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering with us, and we’ll let you know when opportunities come up.
Download and print our flyer. Ask your local coffee shop if you can add it to the bulletin, or use it as part of your fundraiser.