4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29 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 April, the training occurs at an indoor facility which is free of charge.

4/1 to 4/30 FURNISHINGS 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, had 4 days of furniture deliveries in April. VM4U donations are used for van fuel.

4/1 to 4/30 VAN PROGRAM UPDATE

Nathan, Van Program Manager, continues to utilize the VM4U van to deliver medical supplies in Ukraine and deliver donated furniture to refugees in Vienna. VM4U donations are used for fuel and maintenance.

4/1 to 4/30 MUSIC PROGRAM UPDATE

Nadiia, Music Program Manager and Instructor, continues to return refugee children to their music training. The program has 4 instructors for 10 children, thanks to volunteer instructors Joel (Saxophone), Emin (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.

4/2 RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM UPDATE

UAID-Direct and VM4U volunteers have been discussing the potential to apply Vienna based specialists and manpower toward UAID-Direct reconstruction and renovation efforts of orphanages, hospitals, and schools in Ukraine.

4/4 EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM UPDATE

Gebhard, Employment Program Manager, with support from Michael, provided Vienna specific employment advice to several refugees in April.

4/5 VAN MISSION – BYRGENA SUPPORT

Nathan, volunteer driver, using the VM4U van, helped move the Byrgena organization into Social Work Hub. Byrgena works with Ukrainian children here in Vienna. VM4U donations were used for fuel.

4/5 HOSTEL HUTTLEDORF/ALBERT SUPPORT CASE

Adam, volunteer driver, using Michael’s vehicle, transported Albert, 74 yo with limited mobility, from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to/from his accommodations interview at Haus Winkelackerweg (dormitory operated by Samariterbund). VM4U donations were used for fuel.

4/15 VAN MISSION – SECI SUPPORT

VM4U, together with UAID-Direct, provided logistical support for a Southeast European Cooperative Initiative  project to supply computers raised by PCsfürAlle to libraries near Lviv, Ukraine. A VM4U van team, Michael and Adam, delivered 50 desktops, 10 laptops, 120 soap dispensers, and computer accessories from Vienna to SECI’s partners in Ukraine.

4/17 VAN MISSION – UAID-DIRECT SUPPORT

A VM4U van team, Michael and Adam, supported UAID-Direct to deliver the nearly 10 tons of medical supplies received through the medical container project from the UAID-Direct affiliated warehouse in Ivano Frankivsk to hospitals in Ivano Frankivks, Kherson, Valky, and Kharkiv; TacMed Ukraine in Kyiv; and Front Line Medics in Donbass. Artem’s family provided accommodations for the volunteers in Kyiv. VM4U donations were used for fuel.

4/23 HOSTEL HUTTLEDORF/HRYHORII SUPPORT CASE

Nathan, volunteer driver, using his personal vehicle, transported Hryhorii, 85 yo with limited mobility, from Hostel Huttledorf (refugee center operated by Volkshilfe) to/from his accommodations interview at Haus Winkelackerweg (dormitory operated by Samariterbund). VM4U donations were used for fuel.

4/25 UAID-DIRECT VAN SUPPLY PROJECT UPDATE

Thanks to significant donations from the Tullman Family Office raised by Oleg (with a nod to Oleg’s diabetic supply activities) with 501c3 support from Anna, Jerry, Radu, and the Team at Elevate Ukraine, VM4U has been able to financially support the procurement of a 2018 Ford Transit 350 cargo van for the UAID-Direct organization, which was finalized on 12 March by UAID-Direct volunteers in the UK. After some mechanical repairs, the new van entered into service on 23 April and completed its first aid delivery in Ukraine on 28 April. UAID-Direct raises and delivers aid throughout Ukraine leveraging their warehouses at Medyke and Kyiv, their van fleet, and international volunteer drivers and volunteer warehouse operators. This new van comes at a critical time when UAID-Direct’s existing van fleet was at the end of their service life and were deemed not reliable enough for deliveries in hot areas. Fortunately, the new Tullman van and a second cargo van, donated to UAID-Direct by The Queens Shilling organization, have been received and are now both in operation bringing UAID-Direct organization back to full capacity.

4/27 VAN MISSION – UAID-DIRECT SUPPORT

A VM4U van team, Michael and Adam, supported UAID-Direct to deliver medical supplies from the UAID-Direct warehouse in Medyke, Poland were delivered to hospitals in Ivano Frankivsk, Odesa, Oleksandria, Kyiv, Valky, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, as well to the TacMed Ukraine warehouse in Kyiv. Lina and Ken provided accommodations for the volunteers in Kyiv. VM4U donations were used for fuel.

4/30 UAID-DIRECT/VM4U MEDICAL SUPPLY CONTAINER PROJECT UPDATE

The VM4U/UAID-Direct Project Manager has completed a first exercise of a sustainable needs driven medical supply chain between the Partners for World Health Organization in the USA and Ukrainian hospitals and medics. The first such medical aid shipment departed the USA on 26 February 2024 in a shipping container which arrived at the UAID-Direct warehouse in Ivano Frankivsk on 16 March. From there, a large number of volunteers and van teams (from UAID-Direct, VM4U, Emergency Aid for Ukraine, Operation Change, and Operation Aid) delivered the nearly 10 tons of medical supplies to 14 hospitals and international volunteer medics units (including TacMed Ukraine, Front Line Medics, and Operation Aid). VM4U, Rotary Club Vienna Maria Theresa, and UAID-Direct covered the costs of the container shipment and various organizations covered the cost of van operations.

4/30 DIABETIC ORPHANS SUPPLY AND SUPPORT PROJECT UPDATE

Oleg, Project Manager, is working to provide diabetic orphans in Ukraine with glucose monitors and education on modern diabetes management. Unfortunately, VM4U has been informed by the Ukrainian government that there is no centralized information to help identify the orphans with diabetes in Ukraine. Oleg is currently exercising new approaches to finding diabetic children in need of support including cooperation with Pascal, head of Kleine Herzen.