When quarantine restrictions went into effect in Ukraine, orphanages and boarding schools made the decision to send many of their children home to families and relatives. Because many children returned to families dealing with chemical addictions and not adequate living conditions, the safety of children became an immediate concern. 

Seeing the growing needs in their community, one organization in Odessa, knew they needed to step in and reach out to families in crisis. The Heritage Charity Fund (part of Ukraine Without Orphans) immediately began looking for opportunities to help support children who had been returned to at risk families in order to ensure their protection and safety. To do this they partnered closely with the social services and churches in in their region. 

During quarantine, their team has been hard at work delivering food packages, household cleaning supplies and face masks to low-income families and at-risk families. The parents the teams are meeting with also receive the WWO endorsed Parenting Tips, with recommendations for prevention of illness, interacting with their children and managing stress during quarantine. 

The families they are meeting are grateful for the food and emotional support they’ve been receiving. Katerina, a single mother shared, “I need at least some encouragement from someone. I cannot fight it on my own.” The Heritage Christian fund is currently offering ongoing support to Katerina, with the goal of making her home a safe place for her children to live.