2/1 to 2/29 DORMATORY SUPPORT PROGRAM UPDATE

In February, a government sponsored assisted care dormitory which provides long term accommodation for elderly and disabled refugees opened in Vienna. This is important because this facility can accommodate refugees which are disabled, elderly, or need medical treatment and are at very high risk because they have limited mobility. VM4U drivers continue to support Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) by relocating these at-risk people with limited mobility to their government provided long term accommodations.

2/1 to 2/29 MEDICS SUPPORT PROGRAM UPDATE

TacMed Ukraine had an ambulance broken into in Kyiv resulting in a loss of €2k worth of essential equipment. The police have caught the thief who will get 5 years in prison. VM4U donations will be used to replace the essential equipment and keep the medics operating. TacMed Ukraine has 2 ambulances and 1 casevac (Nissan Navaro) at the mechanic. VM4U donations will be used to cover these repairs and keep the medics operating. TacMed Ukraine urgently requested a replacement defibrillator. Thanks to YOUkraine for procurement help and Michael L. and Artem’s family for pickup and delivery to Ukraine, the defibrillator is already in use. The defibrillator was covered by VM4U donations. No TacMed Ukraine international volunteer medics receive a salary or compensation.

2/1 to 2/29 FURNISHING PROGRAM UPDATE

Nathan, Furnishings Program Manager, continues to work with Olga, The Feel Good Store, to transfer furniture and appliances directly from donors to refugees on a regular basis using the VM4U van and Nathan’s van. The furnishings team, better known as the VM4U Crew, includes Pasha, Artem, Arkady, Anatolii, Jake, Jesse, Coach Oleksandr, Adam, and others. VM4U donations are used for van fuel.

2/1 to 2/29 MUSIC PROGRAM UPDATE

Nadiia, Music Program Manager and Instructor, continues to return refugee children to their music training. The program has 5 instructors for 12 children, thanks to volunteer instructors Joel (Saxophone), Emin (Piano), Mariam (Piano), Nadiia (Elementary music), and Rosa (Guitar). The music program is a partnership with Kimu Wien (@kimu_wien) and Domivka. VM4U donations are used for instrument maintenance, instrument rental, and instruction materials.

2/1 to 2/29 BICYCLE PROGRAM UPDATE

On 2/1, Gebhard, Bicycle Program Manager, with help from Nathan, driver, delivered 17 bicycles to Matusya children’s aid collection and distribution center. Matusya has since distributed the bicycles to local refugee children on a first-come, first-served basis. Matusya reports that teenagers are the most vulnerable age group and the bicycles are important for them. The bicycles were partially sponsored by Gebhard and partially covered by VM4U donations.

2/5, 5/12, 2/19, 2/26 FOOTBALL PROGRAM TRAINING

Coach Oleksandr, Football Program Manager, and Coach Sergii continue to host football training for children ages 6-11 on Monday nights from 17:30-19:00 in cooperation with Domivka. For February, the training occurs at an indoor facility which is free of charge.

2/8 MEETING WITH FRONT LINE MEDICS

Adam, VM4U Executive Director, had an introductory meeting by phone with Aaron, Frontline Medics (FLM) Field Coordinator for Eastern Ukraine Operations. FLM activities include field medics, ambulances, long distance patient transport, and mobile clinics. FLM staff are international (including Ukrainian) medics, paramedics, doctors, and drivers operating out of multiple eastern Ukrainian cities. FLM primary needs are primary care and resuscitation medications, high flow oxygen concentrators, surgical supplies, sterilization equipment for medical instrumentation, portable x-ray, and ultrasound. Adam introduced Aaron to Marian, UAID-Direct, to make them known to the UAID-Direct medical supply chain. Fynn, Driving Ukraine, and FLM are already acquainted. FLM is a non-profit registered in the US.

2/12 HOSTEL HUTTLEDORF SUPPORT CASE

Michael, driver, relocated a Svitlana (mother), Valentyn (father), and Anton (son with cerebral palsy in wheel chair) from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to Klinik Hietzing (assisted care dormitory operated by Red Cross). The cost of diesel was covered by donations.

2/13 DIMA SUPPORT CASE

On 13 Nov 2023, Dima received an energy bill for €2,300 from Wien Energy. On 2/13, Michael went with Dima and Katia to a Samariterbund office which was able to nullify the whole bill (!!!) and get Dima €1600 of credit with Wien Energy for 2024. Separately, Dima registered for a social benifit which compensates his wife Katia for being a full time caretaker. Dima has dialysis 3 times per week as he waits for a kidney transplant which should be any day now.

2/13 OKSANA SUPPORT CASE

Yesterday Oksana, mother of 3 from Mariupol, discovered her car had been vandalized and broken into. Dima and Katia recharged the car battery and Adam drove the car to a safer location.

2/16 HOSTEL HUTTLEDORF SUPPORT CASE

Adam, driver, relocated Sergiy, 46 yo son, and Nina, 80 yo mother (wheelchair), and their personal belongings using Michael G.’s vehicle from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to Klinik Hietzing, Pavillian A (assisted care dormitory operated by Red Cross). Michael G. sponsored vehicle fuel.

2/16 VM4U VAN MISSION

Michael L., driver with The Feel Good Store, picked up a defibrillator from Rauberger Medical Trading Company in Mannsdorf using his personal vehicle. The defibrillator was urgently requested by TacMed Ukraine and will be transported to Ukraine later this week with a private driver. The cost of the defibrillator and shipping is covered by VM4U donations; Michael L. sponsored vehicle fuel.

2/16 MARIAN’S SUPPORT CASE

Marian, Eileen, Katherine, Irina, and Katherina, responded to a report of domestic abuse to a mother with a child living in Lilienfeld (60 minutes west of Vienna) and are currently advising.

2/16 TANYA SUPPORT CASE UPDATE

Karina and Adam delivered medicine and cooking supplies to Tanya at Hotel de France (dormitory operated by Samariterbund) following Tanya’s recent return home following major surgery.

2/19 HOSTEL HUTTLEDORF SUPPORT CASE

Jesse, driver, relocated Oleh, 39 yo, and Tamila, 84 yo (disabled), and their personal belongings from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to Klinik Hietzing, Pavillian A. Then made a second trip and relocated Iryna, 59 yo, and Valeriia, 23 yo wheel chair, from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to Klinik Hietzing, Pavillian A. Jesse sponsored vehicle fuel.

2/19 KEN’S FILM PROJECT UPDATE

Ken, Elli, and Michael interviewed Fynn Watt as part of an experimental film project. VM4U volunteers are working with students at a university in the UK to begin developing the stories and footage collected by volunteers into new media products.

2/20 MEETING WITH TULLMAN FAMILY OFFICE

Adam, Executive Director, and Oleg, Project Manager, met via webex with Cayley, Tullman Family Office President. Following the meeting, Tullman Family Office made a very large donation to VM4U which will go to supporting Oleg’s diabetic supply projects and UAID-Direct’s new van.

2/26 UAID-DIRECT MEDICAL CONTIAINER PROJECT

Marian, VM4U/UAID-Direct Project Manager, has been working day and night to build a sustainable needs driven medical supply chain between American donors and Ukrainian hospitals and medics.
1) Hospitals and medics in our network complete a request for specific needs.
2) These needs are relayed to Partners for World Health in the USA who raise the requested supplies and put them in a 40 ft shipping container.
3) Together VM4U and UAID-Direct arrange and finance the logistical transfer of the shipping container from the USA to a UAID-Direct warehouse in Ukraine.
4) From there, UAID-Direct van teams deliver the medical supplies to the end users.
The first such shipment departed the USA on 26 February 2024 and is scheduled to arrive in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine on 9 April 2024. This aforementioned Partner’s for World Health/VM4U/UAID-Direct medical supply chain is one example of the many humanitarian aid supply chains UAID-Direct contributes to. VM4U donations covered the cost of transport of this shipping container (with a majority of those donations being raised by Marian).

2/26 UAID-DIRECT VAN SUPPLY PROJECT

Oleg, First Volunteer, was able to fundraise a new van for UAID-Direct together with the Tullman Family Office. UAID-Direct operates three vans, all of which are near the end of their service life and are not deemed reliable enough for deliveries in hot areas. The new van is expected to purchased in mid-March 2024 – just in time to distribute the medical supplies from the aforementioned Medical Supply Container Project to hot areas.