Oleksandr, or ‘Sasha’ to his family, spends most of time with his mom, Larysa. He was born with cerebral palsy, and she cares for him at home. The busy 11-year-old loves to play ball and solve puzzles. But Larysa’s biggest puzzle remains how to keep him, and his two brothers, fed and healthy.
Ukraine continues to face a serious shortage of staple goods. The food items that are available –such as bread, dairy, eggs, meat, cereals, sugar, and oil — have become significantly more expensive.
“The poorest families cannot provide their children with a balanced diet because of the war,” says Hanna, Oleksandr’s Pochaiv site social worker. “Such families prepare food mainly from the vegetables grown by themselves in their vegetable gardens.”
Hanna and all of Chalice’s Pochaiv site staff could see that vulnerable families of children like Maksym were already struggling with food insecurity, and these conditions have placed them at greater risk. Pochaiv site partnered with Chalice to provide financial assistance to 380 of the most food insecure families of sponsored children. With this funding, parents like Larysa were able to stock up on the essential groceries that are right for their families.
“This made it possible to buy groats, pasta, flour, oil, butter, cheese,” says Hanna, “which is a great relief for families.”
“Thank you for your care, sincere heart and for being there for us during the difficult times. It helps families to diversify their diet, and the feeling that they are not alone in this world adds strength and confidence to move forward.”