When Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the world watched as people packed up their lives to flee to neighboring countries. They left with little to no belongings, and now their lives are completely different.
Anna and her 15-year-old son Nazar are refugees staying in a shopping center that’s been converted into a shelter. There are about 350 other people being housed in tight quarters there, and no one knows when they’ll find permanent housing.
People’s entire lives are compacted to only a few feet of space … it puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
Watch the video to hear about Anna’s escape from Ukraine to Poland:
It was hard for Anna to leave her loved ones behind. But as the war began to take a mental toll on her son, she knew they needed to escape Ukraine — even if only to protect him.
The journey from Ukraine to the refugee center in Poland was a harrowing experience for Anna and Nazar. Russian soldiers didn’t allow people to leave their territory. Anna and her son were forced to make the trip in secret, without any source of food or shelter.
It was dangerous, and Anna wasn’t sure if they would survive. Nazar was feeling sick, and sleeping in an open field with no food, water, or medicine certainly didn’t help. Thankfully, they safely crossed the border and found shelter … but the war isn’t over.
Now that she’s in Poland, Anna only has one request.
“Be praying every day because at home we have our relatives,” Anna said. “My sisters, brothers, husband, all of them couldn’t leave.”
Anna dreams about returning home to her husband, who is waiting for them. She dreams of a day when her home is no longer under Russian occupation. But right now, her dreams are just that — dreams.
“That’s the only thing we want,” she said. “We just want to go back home.”
Inside look at life inside a refugee center
However, Anna now has another problem. Supplies in refugee centers are quickly running out, and more families like Anna’s are pouring into refugee centers every day. Poland’s government has had to cut how much financial help they are sending to refugee centers to buy food, and less and less aid is coming in from abroad.
Ukrainian refugees desperately need food, medicine, clothing, and more to survive the long months ahead.
Anna doesn’t know how she will continue to care for Nazar, and now she wonders if leaving Ukraine was actually the best choice for her son.
She needs someone like YOU to provide help and hope in her life. For just $35, you can be a lifeline to a refugee like Anna and demonstrate the powerful love of Jesus Christ.
Your $35 gift will provide a week’s worth of food, shelter, medical care, and other lifesaving aid to a refugee from Ukraine or another war-torn country.
Show a refugee like Anna that they are not forgotten today. Stand with them during this desperate time of need. Please give as generously as you can.
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