Ukraine Fundraiser: 5KRunOrWalk

In the spring of 2022 allowed Striving For All to help Harmonia Orphanage evacuate from the Kharkiv war zone to the West of Ukraine and get a building equipped to serve as a new home for the kids. It became a haven for more than 100 orphaned children and brought a glimmer of hope to their lives. However, the trauma from losing family members, physical injuries inflicted during wartime, and uncertainty about the future remained.

This spring, our co-founder, Olena Baykur, and a skilled art therapist from Mission Arts Center, Lyudmila Savinkova, traveled to Chernivtsi, Ukraine, to visit the orphanage and deliver a series of in-person art therapy workshops.

The children and staff were stunned that someone cared enough to travel for days from afar to spend time with them, and the art therapy sessions resonated profoundly with all age groups, four to sixteen. The children eagerly lined up daily, waiting to delve into these engaging sessions. Many even sought one-on-one time with the art therapist during their precious recess moments.

The children’s artwork revealed the deep trauma they endured due to the war. The scars of their family losses were evident in every brushstroke and pencil mark. But through the power of art therapy, these sessions became a sanctuary where the children could freely express themselves, finding solace and healing in their creativity.

But what comes next? Struggles with food shortages are imminent as support has dwindled over the past year, and it is now hard to meet even the most basic needs. And the children not only need to eat; they also need to heal. Rehabilitation is a core need for these kids, too. Striving For All invites you to join us and help secure food supplies for the upcoming months and carry on with rehabilitation projects for the kids in Harmonia orphanage.

We hope you join us as together we walk and run to illuminate their path to a brighter future.