Because of your support, orphaned students are finding a place to belong. Young moms and dads are learning from role models and making a better life for their kids. Youth whose society discarded them are getting jobs and giving back.
God is taking care of orphaned youth in Zhytomyr through the compassion of His people. Take a look at what you helped accomplish in 2023!
Our Educational Outreach team befriends new orphaned students in Zhytomyr. Last year, they touched the lives of 179 youth! Many came to the Day Center for friendship and help. Eighteen students received advocacy for untreated illnesses or injuries. Your gifts made sure all our students were clothed and well-fed. For some students, sharing a need and receiving help was a new experience.
Our Restoration Project meets two needs: housing and marketable skills. The crew, all orphaned young people, learn the home renovation trade by repairing the homes of fellow orphans. Orphaned student Masha was one beneficiary this year. The crew fixed up her unlivable apartment so she won’t be homeless when she graduates from college.
Stop the Cycle helps orphaned parents break the cycle of abandonment and abuse in their families. In 2023, 44 moms and dads participated in the program, and 25 families came to our in-depth monthly parenting classes! Camp was a special week for our Stop the Cycle community, where our staff invested deeply in young families every day. Many camp families have stayed in touch.
As the two-year anniversary of the war draws nearer, our hearts are breaking for our country. But we’re thankful you keep investing in the future of Ukraine’s most vulnerable youth. God is always at work!