All news
01.08.2024
Foundation news

Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign

For this year's Children's Day, the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation launched the "Guardians of Childhood" campaign to support families with children in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. In just over a month, we managed to raise 1,504,000 hryvnias [UAH] (approximately 36,716 US dollars), exceeding the initial goal by 22%.
These funds will be directed towards three areas:
  • renovating a facility at the "Cultural and Leisure Center" in Sumy;
  • equipping a shelter in a kindergarten in Liubotyn, Kharkiv region;
  • providing individual humanitarian and psychological assistance to families in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
The Foundation's team is immensely grateful to the donors for their unwavering support, which is the cornerstone of our efforts to bring lasting positive change in war-affected communities.

Pivotal upgrades at the Sumy "Center of Culture and Leisure"

The facility supports 11 active groups — from toddlers taking their first steps in the "Children's Space" to novice artists developing their creative abilities in the "Fantasy Room" drawing studio. Additionally, there is a shelter capable of accommodating up to 500 people.
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  1
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  2
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  3
The "Voices of Children" CF plans to renovate one of the Center's premises and deploy psychologists there to provide crucial support to the community.

A safe haven for children in Liubotyn

In Liubotyn, Kharkiv region, the Foundation will work with the City Council to equip a shelter in kindergarten No. 2. This facility will not only serve as a shelter for more than 460 people during air raid alarms and shelling but also as a center for educational, cultural, and leisure activities for children and youth.
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  1
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  2
A wide range of activities will take place inside the shelter, including educational consultations and classes adapted for all students, including those with special educational needs. It will also host a variety of cultural programs and recreational activities.

Not just helping, but fostering resilience

The "Voices of Children" team continues to provide individual humanitarian and psychological assistance to families in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. This could include delivering essential food and home supplies, securing safe transportation, or ensuring access to crucial educational and psychological resources.
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  1
Over 1.5 Million Hryvnias Raised to Support Families with Children in Kharkiv and Sumy Regions: Results of the “Guardians of Childhood” Campaign — Image  2
Through these efforts, they are not only meeting immediate people's needs but also fostering resilience.
Share:
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter (X) Copy link
Latest news
August at Voices of Children: Youth Retreat, Celebrity Visits, and the End of the Camp Season

August was a really eventful month at the Foundation, even as Russian attacks across Ukraine intensified and children and their families spent many nights in shelters. Sessions continued at our regional centers, along with outreach visits to communities. For the first time, alumni of all our art residencies came together in the Carpathians, while Liev Schreiber and Katheryn Winnick visited our Kyiv center. Well-known Ukrainians read poems by our teenagers, the “Thread” photo exhibition set off on a tour through Ukrposhta branches, the summer camp season came to an end, and together with the band Hyphen Dash, we completed a fundraiser for psychological support. Here is a closer look at each of these events.

“Hold Fast to Life”: Actress Katheryn Winnick Meets Ukrainian Children Affected by the Russian War in Kyiv
Canadian actress and director of Ukrainian descent, best known for her roles as Lagertha in Vikings and Hannah Burley in Bones, came to Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day. While here, she visited our center and met children, including those who had lived through Russian occupation and those forced to leave their homes because of the war. The night before the visit was a difficult one: air raid sirens woke the team in the middle of the night. Katheryn recalled that her “heart rate was pounding, coming out of her chest.” 
For the First Time Ever: Voices of Children Brings Together Alumni of All Its Arts Residencies
For six days in August, a bar appeared in the Carpathians where you paid for tea not with money, but with leaves from the trees. Nearby, teenagers flew kites against the mountain backdrop, while every evening brought live music. This was the Youth Retreat — a major gathering that brought together alumni of the Voices of Children Foundation’s arts labs from across Ukraine. Each of these teenagers had previously taken part in one of our creative residencies. This time, for the first time, they all came together in one place.