June 1-8, 2024

Fastiv, 1.06.-8.06.2024

Praised be Jesus Christ!

We ended last week with the Children’s Protection Day in Borodyanka, and this week started with the Children’s Protection Day in Fastiv. We thank our Defenders that there were no sirens and air raids on this day. Unfortunately, we could not accept all the children in the town, as it was before the war, only as many children as our shelters could accommodate, with the approval of the Military Administration. Therefore, the youngest children of the St Martin Center, the Catholic School of St. Martin de Porres, the children of the Fastiv Church and the children of IDPs under the age of 14 were at the celebration.

In total, 270 children took part in the celebration. Laughter, joy, a family atmosphere, popcorn, cotton candy, a carousel, ice cream, valuable prizes, sweets, a trampoline, a wonderful concert of the Fastiv Children’s Music School, we thank the director of the Music School and the teachers for preparing the program.

Thank you for the financial assistance in organizing the festival, Fundacja Charytatywni Charytatywni Freta. Thanks to various charitable initiatives that you have made in Warsaw so that the children of Ukraine can enjoy the childhood that the war stole from them.

We would like to thank our friends who in Fastiv and in various cities in and abroad responded to the request in a private messenger and donated funds for valuable prizes for children in Borodyanka and Fastiv, namely 2 tablets for learning, 2 smart watches and 2 power banks. Thank you Mr. Pavlo Shvets and other supporters. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t allow us to tag all of you, thank you very much. In Fastiv, the main prize, an educational tablet, was won by a 4-year-old girl from the outskirts of occupied Skadovsk.

This week, the children of our school started summer camp. Not to sit still, the children are traveling. May this time be safe for them.

Every week we assign humanitarian support to different areas. This week it is the front-line city of Kherson and its surroundings. The city center is heavily shelled, it is dangerous to be on the streets, people are almost invisible after lunch. We managed to visit some surrounding villages, including Inhulets. Residents are very tired of the tension and constant shelling. The occupiers are dropping phosphorus shells, houses are burning. We delivered 800 meters of water hose, beds for those in need, and food kits.

In May, our social kitchen in Kherson served 18,809 meals and baked more than 5,000 loaves of bread.

We received humanitarian aid this week from Charitables Freta and the Charitable Foundation. We thank the volunteer Mr. Pavlo Bandazhevsky for the delivery and support.

This week, we distributed 1,471 food kits as requested, a total of 14,100 kg of humanitarian aid.

Joy in our Shelter, little Marichka was born in Okhmatdyt NDSL, and we are already preparing for their arrival.

We are grateful to everyone who responded and supported us this week, as our charitable foundation implements various programs and areas of support for those affected by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, and also runs a shelter for IDPs in the city of Fastiv, developing a space for the youngest, and doing other good deeds. Now, in connection with the increase in tariffs for communal services, this prompt us to constantly search for benefactors.

Every donation you make to our statutory activities is invaluable.

With prayers,

Fr. Mykhailo Romaniv OP