Help Teachers and Children Displaced by the War

Hi, my name is Katya Archangel and I am fundraising for a group of teachers and children who used to be part of a school that my mom was the director of in Odessa, Ukraine. This school used to be sponsored by local church donations, but now with the war, the church no longer gathers so there are no funds to support the school community. Hard times are upon everyone. There is no money for teachers and no place for the children to come together to play and learn. Even before the war, these teachers lived very humble and frugal lives, generally from paycheck to paycheck, and now with the overwhelming devastation of war, they have no savings to sustain themselves.

There are twenty-two teachers and school staff, not counting their children, who need help. Most of them are single mothers, and some have more than one child. Most have fled Ukraine, but some were unable to leave because they are caring for disabled dependents.
 
Currently, in the occupied towns of Ukraine, the schools are closed and the refugee children abroad don't speak the local language to attend public school. The children have been uprooted from their homes and their communities have scattered - the war has brought a lot of fear, anxiety and isolation to their lives. The intention of this campaign is to raise funds to pay for basic living expenses for the teachers and their children,  providing food, clothing and bedding etc. so that they can continue to stay connected to the children from the school community. By supporting and stabilizing these teachers' lives they will be able to continue to support the children from the school who have been deeply impacted by this crisis. The teachers and families are doing their best to keep their school community together as they recognize it is a life-line of love, safety and emotional support for the little ones.

A chapter of the church my mom belongs to gave their seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, to refugee Ukrainians to live in and operate the school from. This will be the school's physical location which will also provide a location for online classes and connections to take place. During these deeply distressing times it is so important that families, children, and communities feel supported and remain connected to help deal with the emotional and physical ravages of war. Teachers are an integral part of providing such safe spaces for children.

Funds raised will go to my mother, Tetiana Arkhanhelska, who was the director of the school. She will distribute the funds directly to the teachers which will pay for their basic living expenses as well as needed school supplies. 

Thank you for your prayers and help in rebuilding the lives of these teachers and children. 

 

Below is the list of the teachers and the school staff that will be receiving your donations:

Elena Didichenko - English teacher. 2 children - 8 and 12 y.o
Svetlana Karayaneva - 1st grade teacher. Widow with underage children
Olesya Vereshiak - 3rd grade teacher. 2 children
Natalia Mlinarich - physical education teacher.
Natalia Gumenna - music and piano teacher. 1 child - 15 y.o
Anastasia Trush - after school teacher. 1 child - 9 y.o
Alena Minenko - math teacher
Evgenyi Smetanchuk - music and guitar teacher
Vadim Shepanivskyi - film & photography teacher. 1 child - 2 y.o
Oksana Gavrilova - school cook. 2 children - 15 and 16 y.o
Tatiana Yachmenceva - school cook
Albert Zhiliyakov - school administrator
Svetlana Lebedeva - school cleaning woman. Raising a 9 y.o grand child alone 
Aleskey Turchenkov - history teacher
Liliya Ignatiuk - Ukrainian language and literature teacher
Marina Buryak - biology and geography teacher. 3 children
Alina Tupchienko - music and piano teacher
Elena Tupchienko - reading teacher for elementary school
Liliya Hadzhioglo - elementary school and after school teacher
Svetlana Pintyiskaya - political science teacher and mechanical drawing teacher. Raising an autistic child
Natalia Mariyan - school accountant