After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Anastasiia, a Ukrainian living in the Polish border city of Lublin decided to help her fellow Ukrainians. Operating a nail salon, she put aside her job and became a volunteer for a local Catholic charity, Caritas Lubelska. She said: 'I cannot go to the battlefield, but I can assist these people.'

Aiding Her Hometown

In March 2022, when Tzu Chi volunteers from Europe came to help Ukrainian refugees in Lublin, Anastasiia, who is fluent in Ukrainian, Polish, and English, played a coordinating role between Tzu Chi and Caritas Lubelska. With each distribution, she learnt more about Tzu Chi and identified with its values and missions.

After the outbreak of war, Anastasiia's primary concern was her beloved parents. Her father was initially drafted into the military; her mother chose to stay in Stanislavchyk, Vinnytsia Oblast, in central Ukraine, to be with him. For peace of mind, Anastasiia called her parents daily. Apart from ensuring their safety, she often spoke of Tzu Chi.

In October 2022, Anastasiia came to Taiwan to visit Master Cheng Yen. She  made a vow to bring Tzu Chi back to Ukraine. This vow was realized in September 2023, when she led Tzu Chi volunteers from Germany and Austria to distribute blankets and food packages in Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. They also visited her hometown, met her parents and local leaders, and, with her parents’ help, recruited more volunteers for future distributions in Ukraine.

While many countries focus on providing weapons as aid to Ukraine during the war, its people are living in dire straits, and rely on charity organizations for support. Local governments have warmly welcomed Tzu Chi's assistance for those in urgent need. They actively help by providing lists of essential items and venues for activities, arrange transportation, and assist in the logistics of delivering the aid.

After two months of preparation and coordination with Ukrainian charity VPO and local governments, volunteers and local friends of Anastasiia's parents joined in the distribution efforts.

On December 7, in freezing temperatures, volunteers officially began helping those in need, starting in Stanislavchyk. The mayor, Volodymyr Perepechai, expressed gratitude for Tzu Chi's support during challenging times and praised the volunteers for their care and compassion.

"Warmest thanks to Tzu Chi Foundation for their support during these challenging times in Ukraine. Residents from eleven villages received large food packages and essential hygiene items, vital for their daily needs. On behalf of all residents, we extend our gratitude to Tzu Chi volunteers for their warmth, kindness, and sincerity."

Mayor Perepechai came to learn that Tzu Chi not only carries out global humanitarian efforts but is also dedicated to environmental protection. Learning this, he saw potential collaboration in addressing local environmental issues. He said: "Protecting the environment is highly relevant to our community, as we are currently addressing local environmental challenges. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to work with Tzu Chi in the future."

The focus of care was to the most vulnerable -- the elderly, disabled, women, and children. As some of the children felt overwhelmed by the crowded distribution site, volunteers patiently comforted them and ensured that they were warmly dressed. Volunteers also carefully assisted those with mobility challenges to prevent them slipping and delivered aid directly to their homes. Even without blood ties, Tzu Chi’s charitable work has left joyful memories in the lives of everyone.

Villages Give Warm Welcome

As volunteers reached the sparsely populated village of Budky, home to only 420 residents, they were warmly welcomed. Despite its small size, the village surprised them with a strong commitment to preserving local culture. An exhibition displayed the richness of Ukrainian culture, showcasing works of famous writers and household items dating back centuries.

Telelyntsi, the smallest village with only 329 residents and nine households in need of assistance, greeted the volunteers warmly. The villagers treated the volunteers with drinks and biscuits and expressed deep gratitude for the love that came from afar.

During each distribution, Anastasiia introduced Tzu Chi to the locals through the video "50 Years on the Bodhisattva Path" and led everyone in a prayer at the end. After the prayer, a sense of peace and tranquility filled the air. Everyone expressed gratitude, and hoped for an end to the war and a return to normal life.

On December 7 and 8, volunteers distributed aid packages in eleven villages, including Stanislavchyk, Tarasivka, Voznivtsi, Budky, Kamianohirka, Oleksiivka, Noskivtsi, Telelyntsi, Katsmasiv, Movchanu, and Luka Movchanska, benefiting a total of 7,316 villagers. Volunteers distributed 360 aid packages, each valued at 35 euros, totaling 12,600 euros (approximately US$13,778).

The aid packages included essential items such as cooking oil, flour, corn, beans, peas, pineapple, milk, egg yolk sauce, cocoa, tea, biscuits, straws, halva, instant noodles, candies, buckwheat flakes, corn flakes, wheat flakes, dried wheat, oatmeal, rice, sugar, pasta, laundry detergent, shampoo, shower gel, and toothpaste. While these items may seem ordinary to those in countries at peace, for villagers struggling due to the war, they were like precious gifts from Santa Claus, valuable and rare.

Love from 8,000 Km Away

Anastasiia's return to her hometown brought immense joy to her parents, Oleg and Liudmyla, allowing the family to enjoy a brief reunion. Not only that, Anastasiia and other volunteers, like Santa Claus, brought much-needed food and essentials for the villagers, who shared their sentiments during this period. They said:

"A year and a half ago, our daughter Anastasiia told us over the phone about a charity organization called Tzu Chi coming from over 8,000 kilometers away to help the people of Ukraine. It was the first time we heard of Tzu Chi. Three months ago, we had the privilege of meeting Tzu Chi volunteers from Germany and Austria in Ukraine, participating in the food distribution organized by Anastasiia. We are proud of our daughter and personally felt the love and warmth she had shared before.”

“We are very grateful for the advice from Tzu Chi volunteer Shu Wei Chen. We decided to help refugees and impoverished families affected by the war in our community. We called friends and invited them to volunteer, and everyone expressed willingness to participate.”

“We have meetings every day, and although everyone is very busy, they are all happy.  Even though the war is not over, we are grateful for the opportunity to help others. Many people asked us about Tzu Chi—what kind of organization it is, where it is, and who they are. They want to know more about the Tzu Chi Foundation.”

“Anastasiia introduced them to Tzu Chi, explaining that the foundation helps people around the world, regardless of war or natural disasters. Volunteers appear wherever there is a need for assistance. Seeing the recipients moved to tears and we feel immensely happy to be part of Tzu Chi. We sincerely thank Tzu Chi Foundation for the support provided during such difficult times for every Ukrainian, letting us know that we are not alone and have the ability to help those in need."

As the war has continued to rage for almost two years, countless lives have been lost on the battlefield. Who will care for the orphans, widows, the elderly, and the sick? As snow continues to gather in the cold of winter, we hope that those in power consider the extent of the bloodshed, and may peace come with the warmth of spring. May both sides lay down their arms and rebuild their homes, not only for the welfare of Ukraine but for the world's well-being.

Story by Anastasiia, Shu Wei Chen, Xiu-lien Zhu