Stories that touched our hearts: stories of volunteers of the “Arms of Mercy” foundation

We’d like to share several touching stories of people who suffered from the war and turned to us during registration for financial assistance within the framework of the project implemented in partnership with the international organization World Vision and the financial support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).

Olga Andriivna, a volunteer of the foundation from Zaporizhzhia, heard the story of a man who recently escaped from the occupied territory and turned to us. A man under the age of 60, originally from the Zaporizhzhia region, miraculously managed to escape and move. “He told how difficult it was, but he was able to survive,” says Olga. Despite suffering and loss, the man had a positive frame of mind. “We cried together, and he said that it was a miracle from God to get out of that terrible situation,” the volunteer shares. The man lost his property and job but was happy to escape. Now he has found a job in Zaporizhzhia, cleaning roads.

Another story was deeply moving. A woman, about 50 years old, turned to our foundation. She was very sensitive and avoided large gatherings of people, so it was not easy for her to dare to come for help. The woman, together with her elderly mother, had to rent a summer house because they lost their own home due to the war. During the conversation, the woman could not hold back her tears, and her mother tried to calm her daughter down. “I sat with her and carefully listened to her story until the end. There was a feeling that she was very self-restrained as if she was deeply wounded mentally,” says Olga.

The volunteer realized that in addition to material help, this woman also needed spiritual support. “I wrote down her contacts because she asked a lot to let her read the Bible,” Olga shares, emphasizing how important it is for victims not only to provide satisfaction of basic needs but also comfort and faith in a better future.

The “Arms of Mercy” charity foundation and World Vision, with the financial support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), are making every effort to provide financial support to people who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

Yuliya Petrivna, also our volunteer from Zaporizhzhia, told the touching stories of people who suffered from the war.

One woman shared with Yulia that she lost her husband during the shelling of their house in Gulyai Pole. In an instant, the family lost their father and home. “That’s how we lost almost everything. There was nothing left of the yard, and her husband was ripped to pieces,” says the woman Yulia. Children between the ages of sixteen and twenty must now live without parental care. Financial assistance helped this family adapt to new circumstances.

Another woman told about her brother, who was taken prisoner. The family saw photos confirming this on Russian Telegram channels. “My mother is distraught with grief because she does not know what will happen to her son,” Yulia quotes. We, the “Arms of Mercy” charitable foundation, together with partners World Vision and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), provide both financial and psychological support to families whose loved ones are in captivity, understanding how important it is for them to feel that they are not alone in their grief.

Julia told another story that deeply impressed her. An elderly woman who turned to the fund lost absolutely everything: her home, belongings, hope. She was disappointed in life and did not know where she would spend her last years. “At the end of the line, she said to me, ‘Dear, I want you to sleep in your bed and eat from your fork.’ These words touched me so much that I could hardly hold back tears,” the volunteer shares her emotions. The woman received not only material support but also felt that she was taken care of and not left alone with trouble.

These stories show how deep the emotional wounds of people affected by war can be. Unfortunately, we are unable to change the circumstances, but thanks to the financial aid we provide in partnership with World Vision, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and Acted, we can at least partially alleviate their suffering, and give them faith and hope for a better future.

Our foundation volunteers encounter human tragedies every day and try to alleviate the suffering of those who ask for help. Listening to stories full of pain and despair and doing everything possible to support and comfort these people.