History of the foundation

The Charitable Organization Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava was founded on 10 February 2022, a few days before the next stage of the Russian war against Ukraine — a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. It was the challenge of the war that Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church faced that became decisive in determining the purpose and activities of the organization at its inception.

According to the Foundation’s Statute, it was established “to strengthen transformational changes in Ukrainian society and to establish a public dialogue on the formation of civil society based on the fundamental values of Christianity”. It follows that the foundation’s charitable activities are aimed at providing and fulfilling charitable, religious, cultural, educational, artistic, and social tasks.

The Foundation’s priority areas of charitable activity are:

• The dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life.
• Social justice.
• Development of civil society.
• Responsible freedom.
• Care for the environment.
• Educational formation.
• Education and media.

As mentioned above, it was the challenges posed by Russia’s war against Ukraine that became decisive for the implementation of activities and, consequently, the launch of various projects.

Food packages and hygiene kits

One of the first major projects of the Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava back in March-April 2022 was the purchase, forming and distribution of food packages. The contents of one set consisted of 13 items to feed two people for a week. The total weight of the package is 8.5 kg. In providing humanitarian aid, we did not limit ourselves to material support, but through communication, we gave joy and hope for a better, safer, and more fulfilling life. So, this project has also acquired a spiritual dimension — sharing love, which generates gratitude and strengthens hope for victory. At the same time, the presence of priests during the distributions provided an opportunity for spiritual conversation. The project continues to this day.

Later, hygiene kits were added to the list. Around 2:50 AM on 6 June 2023, the occupation forces of the Russian Federation committed a war crime and potential ecocide — the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam. This caused significant destruction and flooding of houses on both the right and left banks of the Dnipro River. In the evening of 9 June, two trucks with hygiene kits and a truck with food went from the Caritas office in Kolomyia to Greek Catholic parishes in Kherson region, which have been centres of service and assistance since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In total, 15 tonnes of water, 4 tonnes of hygiene products, 10 tonnes of food and 600 kg of animal feed. The hygiene kits are being prepared to be distributed to those most affected by the war.

Logistics Centre of the UGCC

The transfer of food, hygiene kits and other humanitarian aid forced the creation of the UGCC Logistics Centre with its own vehicles and drivers. Thanks to the support of international charitable organizations and caring Ukrainians from abroad, today it owns 7 buses and 2 trucks. At the same time, a well-established team of drivers is ready to travel anywhere in the country. This allows us to provide fast and high-quality transportation not only to the frontline and constantly shelled regions of Ukraine, but also to deliver aid to the defenders of our country.

Evacuation and accommodation of people

On 7 May 2022, through the efforts of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Centre of the UGCC and the Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava, the first evacuation of people from the frontline and constantly shelled areas took place. By this time, active organizational preparations were underway: the search for local coordinators to organize such groups, the formation of volunteers to accompany such groups on the road, and the search for and creation of a network of shelters that would be able to take people in safe regions of the country. During the most active evacuation periods, we managed to evacuate more than 200 people a week. They were then accommodated in shelters, which were set up in eparchial and exarchal houses, monasteries, retreat houses, and parish houses. All of them are in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and other western regions.

Spiritual and rehabilitation trips for IDPs

In the summer of 2022, the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Centre began arranging spiritual and rehabilitation trips for residents of shelters in their free time from evacuation. “We have organised pilgrimage trips to Western Ukraine for those people who have already settled down and had a rest, but needed support, positive emotions, spiritual fulfilment, and acquaintance with the culture and traditions of the new region,” the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Centre said. The participants of the pilgrimages visited: The Marian Spiritual Centre in Zarvanytsia, the Monastery of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the village of Dora-Yaremche, the Krekhiv Monastery of St Nicholas, the Basilian Monastery on Yasna Hora in Hoshiv, the historical architectural heritage of Zhovkva with its ancient churches, the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kolomyia, etc.

Spiritual and rehabilitation summer camp “Free Children”

In the summer of 2023, the Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava in cooperation with the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Centre launched a series of charity summer camps for children from the frontline areas that are subject to constant shelling. Children in these regions are under constant stress and a sense of danger. Over 200 children from Kherson, Nikopol, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and other frontline towns and villages had the opportunity to relax, get to know each other and learn something new during 5 sessions of the summer camp.

Good Samaritan’s points of invincibility

With the winter of 2022–2023 and the onset of cold weather, the Russian Federation began shelling critical infrastructure to deprive Ukrainians of heat, electricity, light, and communication. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church did not stand aside. Thanks to the support of the Apostolic Exarchate in Germany and Scandinavia, the Mudra Sprava Foundation has started installing Good Samaritan resilience points. Each point is equipped with ventilation, heating, and a stove. It has access to high-speed internet, the ability to cook or heat food and charge a mobile phone. Moreover, these points immediately began to turn into spaces for communication, mutual support, and meetings. A total of 25 Good Samaritan resilience centres were set up between January and April 2023 in different cities of Ukraine.

Charity kitchen and hot meals

Since 4 December 2022, the Charity Kitchen has been providing humanitarian aid in the form of hot meals in the Kyiv region for the most affected by the Russian war against Ukraine and the most vulnerable groups of the society. A team of 6 chefs prepares 200 hot meals three to five times a week, which are then transported and distributed to UGCC parishes in the Kyiv region. These parishes include: Irpin, Brovary, Vynohradar, Bucha, Hostomel, Moshchun, Boryspil and others. The hot meals project was supported by the Metropolis of Philadelphia, which consists of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, the Eparchy of Stamford, the Eparchy of St Josaphat with its seat in Parma (Ohio, USA) and the Eparchy of St Nicholas the Wonderworker with its seat in Chicago (Illinois, USA). The kitchen at the Patriarchal Curia was established with the assistance of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

Training programme for communities “Action in Hope”

In the context of transforming Ukrainian society, Mudra Sprava launched the “Action in Hope” project to work and serve in communities. This is a six-month training programme consisting of five modules. From October to December 2023, the first participants were 30 entrepreneurs, businessmen, representatives of government and local authorities, community activists and opinion leaders from Zelenodolsk, Dnipro region. The training involves creating your own project from an idea in your head to a strategic vision of scaling and cooperation with others. The course programme includes practical classes in business ethics, project management, social communication, HR, financial and grant management, and leadership. The course ends with the presentation and defence of projects and the awarding of certificates. The Counselling Center continues to work with the Zelenodolsk community.

Wound Healing Centres

Based on the Development Strategy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which puts the healing of the wounds of war at the forefront of pastoral care, the Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava has begun to establish Wound Healing Centres. On 8 November 2023, the first such centre was opened in Hostomel, Kyiv region.

The purpose of such centres is threefold:

• A place to store and provide humanitarian aid for those most affected by the war and in need. In carrying out this ministry, the UGCC tries not only to provide material or food support, but also an opportunity for communication, acceptance and sharing of life.
  
  
• Space for psychological support through the involvement of professional psychologists and psychotherapists. The centre’s premises provide a separate functional space for conversations that require confidentiality.
  
  
• An opportunity for more effective and broader pastoral activities. The centre can also be used for worship, prayers, vigils, and catechetical meetings.

To date, three Wound Healing Centres have been established in the Kyiv region: Hostomel, Boryspil, and Petropavlivska Borshchahivka.