11/23-12/16 FURNISHINGS PROGRAM UPDATE

Nathan, Furnishings Program Manager, has continued regular redistribution of donated furniture and appliances to refugees. Nathan matches supply and demand by working together with Olga, The Feel Good Store; Yuliia from Baden; Chris, Social Work Hub; and Cliff. Nathan also coordinates vehicle and volunteer schedules. Furniture is transported using the First Aid First Hand van and Nathan’s personal vehicle by volunteers including Coach Oleksandr, Andrew, Pasha, Arkady, David, Adam, and others. Used furniture donations have been primarily raised by Cliff and Nathan, with a large amount of new IKEA furniture raised by the Social Work Hub and coordinated by Chirs. This program continues to be very high value by offsetting refugee costs and increasing their quality of life.

11/28 VAN PROGRAM – WINTER UPGRADES AND MAINTENANCE

To maximize van reliability and driver safety during winter trips to Ukraine, €2,239.86 from donations was spent on winter upgrades and maintenance to the First Aid First Hand van to include new brakes, new tires, upgraded lighting, jerry cans, snow chains, flash lights, and sleeping bags. The First Aid First Hand vans as well as Cliff, Nathan, and Michael’s private vehicles are used to transport supplies around Vienna, to greater Austria, and to Ukraine. Fuel costs are covered by donations and by Cliff, Nathan, and Michael.

11/29 ZHURAVNO ORPHANAGE SUPPLY PROJECT – WEBSITE LAUNCHED

VM4U has been organizing support for an orphanage which has been relocated to Zhuravno, Ukraine (1.5 hours south of Lviv) from Zaporizhzhia. Thanks to Julia, VM4U webmaster, the needs if this orphanage are advertised to potential sponsors through this delicated website. Procurement and delivery is performed by VM4U. See for yourself: https://vm4u.org/zhuravno-orphanage-project/

11/30 MEETING WITH VOLKSHILFE

Adam, VM4U Executive Director, met with Nataliia, Volkshilfe Project Lead, at her office. Volkshift is a large Austrian non-profit which focuses on social services. Nataliia’s office helps refugees with employment. Specifically, refugees are referred to Nataliia’s office by the Arbeitsmarktservice, which is the Austrian employment office. Gebhard, VM4U Integration and Employment Program Manager, and Holly, VM4U German Program Manager, will follow up with Nataliia to further cooperation and avoid duplication of efforts.

VOLKSHILFE: http://volkshilfe.at

11/30 MEERING WITH THE VIENNA ARRIVAL CENTER

Adam, VM4U Executive Director, met with Kate, Shift Leader, Red Cross, at the Vienna Arrival Center The Vienna Arrival Center is a refugee center operated by the Red Cross which provides the following services: (1) beds, food, medical support; (2) Police registration desk (blue card); and (3) Caritas desk (social benefits). The facility is hard to find due to it not being located remotely near where google maps places it. The address is Althanstrasse 14 and the entrance is located exactly here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wEXejSaqfijFQt97. According to Kate, the facility, while displaying banners for BBU, does not have any cooperation or connection with BBU at the current time.

Vienna Arrival Center: https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen-gesellschaft/ankunftszentrum-althanstrasse.html

11/28, 12/05, 12/12 FOOTBALL PROGRAM TRAINING SESSIONS

Coach Oleksandr, Football Program Manager, and Coach Sergii continue to host Football training sessions for children ages 6-11. For the winter, the training was changed from the outdoor fields at Donua City Sports Complex to Castellezgasse 35 in the second district starting on 12/12. Roxy, Psychological Support Program Manager, continues to bring snacks for the kids after training. Outdoor field cost (55 EUR per session) were sponsored by Michael, Julia, and Sharon. Indoor gymnasium use is cost-free.

11/29 Relocation Support Case

Oleksandr and Arkady, assisted a refugee family to relocate to another apartment in Vienna.

11/30 Welfare Support Case

David, Case Officer, organized support for a mother with two autistic 9 year old children. David and Dima, working with the Let’s Play organization (letsplayvienna.org), have been supporting this family by playing with the children on a regular basis and providing the mother needed space. VM4U Team including David, Case Officer; Irina, Refugee Support Program Manager; Roxy, Psychological Support Program Manager; and Gebhard, Integration Program Manager; remains a resource available to this mother.

12/05, 12/09, 12/15 VAN MISSIONS TO LVIV

VM4U, First Aid First Hand, and The Feel Good Store drivers transported generators, powerbanks, Oleg’s insulin, YOUkraine’s medical supplies, Social Work Hub’s medical equipment, The Feel Good Store’s aid packages, children’s gifts, and private parcels in the First Aid First Hand van to Lviv for continuation to hospitals, orphanages, and loved one’s in Ukraine. VM4U donations covered the cost of fuel, tolls, and driver lodging. Extreme winter road conditions, power outages, and internet outages were encountered by van teams.

12/06 MEDICAL SUPPORT CASE

Vladimir accompanied a refugee to a medical appointment as a Rus->Eng translator.

12/09 VM4U SOCIAL EVENT AT YOUKRAINE ART EXHIBITION AND FUNDRAISER

The VM4U community raised €2,500 toward the procurement of an ambulance by YOUkraine by purchasing Ukrainian art at this delightful social event.

12/10, 12/14 GENERATOR SUPPLY PROJECT

On 12/10, the Generator Supply Project was initiated. Responding to power outages throughout Ukraine, Michael, Project Manager, produced a spreadsheet of all generator suppliers and inventories in Vienna which was distributed by VM4U to all partner organizations and volunteers on 12/14. Through this project, generators are sourced, picked-up, and delivered to Ukraine by VM4U on behalf of the Team Vienna community. Generators are paid for by the individual requesters and not VM4U donations (except for the case of VM4U specific projects such as the Zhuravno Orphanage Supply Project and the Kharkiv Hospital Project).

12/11 MEETING WITH ELEVATE UKRAINE

Julia, VM4U Treasurer, Adam, VM4U Executive Director, and Ivan, YOUkraine CEO, just met with Jerry, Elevate Ukraine Treasurer, his wife Susan, Brian Ray, Elevate Ukraine Board Member. Before the war, the Elevate Ukraine NGO working with orphanages across Ukraine. Now Elevate Ukraine also procures and delivers medical supplies, evacuates people, operates vans in Ukraine, and loves Ukrainian orphans. Notably, the first US Ambassador to Ukraine, Roman Popadiuk, is on their board.

Elevate Ukraine: http://elevateukraine.org

12/14 ST. NICHOLAS PROJECT/BICYCLE PROJECT UPDATE

15 Bicycles were delivered by Nathan and Gebhard to Mureck Orphanage in the First Aid First Hand van. The 15 bicycles were raised by Gebhard, Project Manager of the Bicycle Project, and connected to the 15 children of the Mureck orphanage by Svetlana, Project Manager of the St. Nicholas Project.

12/15 ZHURAVNO ORPHANAGE SUPPLY PROJECT UPDATE

Two 5 kW diesel generators, 100 L of diesel, 2 large dining tables, 1 single mattress, 108 Lindlt chocolate Santas, and food were delivered to the Zhuravno Orphanage during the 12/15 van mission. The 2 generators and diesel were raised through project specific donations, the tables and mattress were raised by Cliff, the chocolates by Karissa, and food by YOUkraine.

12/15 VOLODYMYR SUPPORT CASE

A family of 4 including grandmother, grandfather, mother, and 3 month old daughter were about to lose their accommodation on 01/31 after the grandfather planned to heart surgery in January. Previously, on 10/18, Dr. Halyna, Medical Support Program Manager, organized for Roman, Volunteer, to accompany the grandfather to a medical appointment during which the surgical appointment was scheduled. On 11/01, David, Dima, Adam, and Forian, met with the grandfather to discuss his family’s case. Oleg organized for the translation of a refugee’s lengthy medical history from Ukrainian to German, which was received by the grandfather on 12/15. Irina, Refugee Support Program Manager, together with Maximillian, organized a very low rent apartment for the family. However, the family declined the apartment. The mother and grandchild decided to return to Ukraine to be together with the father. The grandfather and grandmother found alternative housing until the end of April 2023. The medical record translation was paid for by VM4U donations.

12/16 TATIANA SUPPORT CASE

A family of 4 including 75 yo grandmother, 46 yo mother, 22 yo daughter, 22 yo son, and 4 cats from Mykolaiv was informed they would lose their government sponsored accommodation on 12/16 and be relocated to the Vienna Arrival Center. The mother is in a Vienna hospital for an extended duration with a shrapnel injury to the leg and has undergone many surgeries. The mother had a physical disability which limits her mobility prior to the shrapnel injury. Robert, VM4U Host Family, opened his home to this family. The mother remains in the hospital. Irina, Refugee Support Program Manager, has been coordinating with the family. Adam, Case Officer, and Arkady relocated the family from their government accommodation to Robert’s apartment. Michael, volunteer, is advising the daughter with respect to find an apartment. Gebhard, Integration Program Manager, is advising the son with respect to employment.