About

Our Mission

Loving and restoring orphanage graduates toward life and community.

Our Vision

The end of the generational orphanage cycle in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.

Our Team

International

Andrey Pankyeyev

Oksana Pankyeyev

Anna Cherniy

Yulia Nesterenko

Lena Voznyuk

Sergei Cherniy

Yuliana Sagaidachna

Alexander Terekhov

Anya Hrobust

Alexander Akinshin

Lillia Bashinskaya

Ekaterina Terekhova

Alexander Kravchuk

Vladimir Orendovsky

Board of Directors

Cari Alt

Joel Austin

Ed Gordon

Don Lawton

Dave Richter

U.S. Staff

Megan Hershey

Emily Millikan

Partners

Core Values & Behaviors

1 – Healing Relationship

a. We build safe and secure attachments to promote the healing process of orphanage graduates.
b. We provide long-term, consistent, and reparative mentoring and discipleship relationships to inspire long-term transformation.
c. We love boldly and build relational capital to influence our youth towards a life in Christ.
d. All of our youth hear the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly presented in all of our programs, and staff are daily examples of Christ’s love.

*1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2 – Holistic Orphan Care

a. We practice the good news of Jesus by caring for the whole person, including advocacy for their spiritual, emotional, physical and relational needs.
b. We inspire youth to give back to their community while they also travel down their own healing path.
c. We prayerfully intercede and provide very practical life skills so our youth have opportunities to thrive.

*Colossians 3:23-24
3 – Dynamic Community

a. We work in partnership with our supporters; we are committed to transparency and good communication about ministry operations, prayer needs, and the stewardship of funds.
b. We engage in deeper friendships and partnerships within the larger orphan care community.
c. We work within the body of Christ to respond to God’s command to the Church to care for and bring justice to orphans.

*Ephesians 4:16

1 – Healing Relationship

a. We build safe and secure attachments to promote the healing process of orphanage graduates.
b. We provide long-term, consistent, and reparative mentoring and discipleship relationships to inspire long-term transformation.
c. We love boldly and build relational capital to influence our youth towards a life in Christ.
d. All of our youth hear the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly presented in all of our programs, and staff are daily examples of Christ’s love.

*1 Corinthians 13:4-7

2 – Holistic Orphan Care

a. We practice the good news of Jesus by caring for the whole person, including advocacy for their spiritual, emotional, physical and relational needs.
b. We inspire youth to give back to their community while they also travel down their own healing path.
c. We prayerfully intercede and provide very practical life skills so our youth have opportunities to thrive.

*Colossians 3:23-24

3 – Dynamic Community

a. We work in partnership with our supporters; we are committed to transparency and good communication about ministry operations, prayer needs, and the stewardship of funds.
b. We engage in deeper friendships and partnerships within the larger orphan care community.
c. We work within the body of Christ to respond to God’s command to the Church to care for and bring justice to orphans.

*Ephesians 4:16

History

Our founders began serving orphans in Ukraine at summer camps in the late ’90s. Relationships grew with youth at Orphanage #4 in Zhytomyr, and a dream was born to support the vulnerable adolescents aging out of the system. Last Bell was incorporated in 2006. Shelter, our first day center for orphans, opened in 2007.

2006
In 2011, Last Bell opened a Support Center for our growing numbers of orphanage graduates, housing Stop the Cycle (a program for orphan mothers) as well as counseling and legal help.

2011
In 2012, Orphanage #4 closed, and kids were moved to regional institutions. We implemented the next phase of our vision: reaching city trade schools where orphan teens from all over the region are sent to study. Educational Outreach officially launched in 2015.

2015
In 2016, Last Bell introduced the Restoration Project, apprenticing orphan youth to the renovation trade while restoring housing for orphanage graduates. The same year, the Shelter transitioned into crisis housing and a hub for Stop the Cycle.

2016
In 2017, we moved our office and support services to a large new facility, the Day Center, which is also a single, central drop-in center for orphanage graduates.

2017
Today, Last Bell serves over 450 orphanage graduates through the work of sixteen Ukrainian staff, three U.S. staff, seven board members, and hundreds of Last Bell friends!

Today