The ceremonial handover of two ambulances to a military hospital in Dnipro took place on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Since the first days of the war, the Kyiv-based My Hometown Charity Foundation has, together with Caritas Ukraine, the international charity foundation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, been involved in providing humanitarian aid, medicines and equipment for the war zone.

The My Hometown Foundation was founded by Ihor Lysov in 2001 with the aim of raising the level of civic awareness of Kyiv residents. Currently, the vice president of the foundation is Kyiv City Council member Vadym Ivanchenko. From the very first days of Russia’s war, the foundation changed the vector of its activities in order to help military units and occupied cities. Volunteers provide assistance on their own, as well as through cooperation with foreign organizations.

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The foundation has been operating for several years and has a reputation as a reliable organization, and many foreign associations have contacted the founders. Workers of the My Hometown Charity Foundation have provided trucks and warehouses for companies that have turned to it. Among them is Caritas, which got in touch with the foundation through Uzhgorod.

Priest Oleksandr of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine sanctifies the two ambulances donated to the Ukraine Military on July 7. (Patricia Cordell)

Vadym Ivanchenko’s team received the vehicles in Kyiv and repaired them and then collected the necessary medicines and food items for the military. Subsequently, a ceremonial handover of three ambulances took place, one of which was transferred to the eastern front back in 2017. Now, after the repairs, together with the other two ambulances, after the consecration by the priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Oleksandr, it was handed over to volunteers who will take them to Dnipro.

My Hometown Charity Foundation had previously provided two vehicles to military units. The foundation’s team was one of the first to visit Bucha and Hostomel in Kyiv Region after occupation, and used boats to ferry aid to the flooded town of Demydiv, and also took aid to Kharkiv. The charity receives aid from Montenegro and Slovakia in the main, and also orders the necessary items at its own expense.

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We bought the first ambulances at our own expense, and trucks with humanitarian aid were purchased in the same way. We try to do everything on our own, without state support. We understand that everyone should now do the maximum that depends on him. By the way, approximately 18 members of our organization have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Vadym Ivanchenko, Vice President of the My Hometown Foundation, told Kyiv Post.

The transfer of humanitarian aid is clearly recorded at every stage. Volunteers who help deliver the necessary aid to different parts of Ukraine turn to the foundation, after which Vadym personally contacts the military and heads of the administration of those cities that were previously under occupation. When the aid is sent, the parcels are photographed, and after arriving at their destination, volunteers also send a photo report. Subsequently, the commanders of military units send a document with a stamp confirming receipt. In this way, the organization avoids the theft of humanitarian aid. The exact address of military units is, for security reasons, not indicated on parcels.

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