From the onset of the war in Ukraine, our partners - the Hungarian Unitarian Church and its charity organization Gondviselés (in English: Providence) - have responded to the needs of Ukrainian war refugees.
In September 2024, Gondviselés volunteers Olivér Kiss, journalist, and Vladimir Skalski, refugee from Odesa living in Cluj/Kolozsvár, undertook a life-threatening mission to deliver aid (food, health equipment, adult diapers, defibrillators) to Southern Ukraine. The transfer of the goods took place at the border crossing in Orlivka (on the Ukrainian side of the Danube's northern Dobruja section), an area that was affected by drone strikes the night before. The donations were received by the director of the Liubashivka city hospital.
In July and December 2024, Providence delivered aid shipments to the Diaconal Coordination Office of the Hungarian Reformed (Calvinist) Church in Gelénes, Hungary, who transferred the goods to the Diaconal Center of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church in Berehove, Ukraine.
The summer shipment included two and a half pallets of food (canned goods, flour, and cooking oil), vitamins and other supplies (12 tents, 13 camp beds, 24 sleeping bags, 12 self-inflating mattresses, and 1,000 adult diapers).
The December consignment contained a complete solar panel support system (a power converter and four lithium storage batteries).
As part of the shipment, the aid organization's branch in Hungary also provided a pallet of food in support of Christmas aid packages.
In November 2024, ICUUW transferred an additional $8,075 to our partners, bringing the total funds sent to Gondviselés since the onset of the war to $112,075. We are deeply grateful for the continuing donations from ICUUW members in support of Gondviselés's vital work for those displaced by the war in Ukraine.
For previous efforts by Gondviselés please see the following:
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Relief efforts from the onset of the war until 17 April 2022
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A very personal report by ICUUW board member Gizella Nagy, who accompanied Providence staff on their April 2023 aid mission to Berehove, Ukraine.
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On 24 October 2023, ICUUW Executive Director Zsófia Sztranyiczki accompanied Gondviselés on their aid shipment to the Diaconal Coordination Center of the Transcarpathia Reformed Church in Berehove, Ukraine. The supplies consisted of 1500 kgs of canned food and sugar, 205 tourniquets, and 25 laptops to assist in the education of students of the Hungarian-language Reformed School of Técső (Tiachiv). Please see Zsófia Sztranyiczki speaking in Berehove and a video report with bishop Rev. István Kovács.