Christian summer camp programs in Ukraine are more than recreational getaways—they are lifelines for children grappling with the psychological scars of war. By combining safety, emotional and spiritual support, counseling, and a sense of community, these camps play a vital role in mental health recovery and trauma healing for Ukraine’s youngest and most vulnerable.
The response from our HART Community to this fundraising need has been outstanding! Because of your generosity, over 6,000 children will experience the joy of summer camp.
But they’re more than just numbers. Each child has a name… a story… and a soul. And this summer, their stories will include hope.
Who’s going to camp this summer, thanks to YOU? Oleg, Mykola, Tanya, Sophia, Oksana, Serhiy, Natalia, Anastasia, Tetiana, Oleh, Olexandre, Yevhen, Boris, Anya, Pavlo, Christina, Masha, Vika, Andriy & Sasha – and thousands more. THANK YOU!
Only 5 DAYS LEFT to register for HART’S Fundraising EVENT this Friday. We hope to see you there!
For the majority of you in our amazing HART Community who cannot attend the fundraiser, we plan to share a video recap of the evening in an upcoming E-Blog, so you can still be part of the experience and see the impact your support is making.
Transformation Story of Bohdan and his family
Every act of kindness holds the power to ignite transformation. Because of your faithful support, one Ukrainian family now stands as a living testimony to hope, compassion, and the life-changing love of God.
This is the story of Bohdan Hvalibota — a young man whose life, once marked by hardship, has been beautifully shaped by your generosity through HART’s child sponsorship program.
Recently, Maria Polulikh, a program caseworker, attended a Sunday service at a small village church located in the Lviv region of Western Ukraine. As the congregation lifted their voices in worship, a young man stepped up to the pulpit. His face was familiar—there was something unmistakable about him.
And then it clicked.
To Maria’s astonishment and joy, the young man preaching was none other than Bohdan—a child she remembered from years earlier in HART’s sponsorship program.
Once a vulnerable young boy in need of hope, he now stood confidently before his community, proclaiming the Word of God. Maria sat in awe, her heart full of gratitude, witnessing firsthand the power of God’s transforming love—and the lasting impact of compassion sown years ago.
Bohdan was the fifth of eight children growing up in a struggling family in a small Ukrainian village. Life there was never easy, but for Bohdan’s family, poverty was constant. Steady work was hard to find, and when the family welcomed a set of twins, their challenges only deepened—especially after their mother developed epilepsy, a condition that continues to require expensive treatment.
Through it all, the family held tightly to their faith, clinging to the hope of a better tomorrow. That hope began to take shape in 2009 when eight-year-old Bohdan was accepted into HART’s Child Sponsorship program. It was a turning point—not just for Bohdan, but for his entire family.
The program brought vital support like food and medical care, but it also offered something even more powerful: the love of a community, the mentorship of caring adults (like Maria), and spiritual nourishment through camps and Christian teaching. That love planted seeds of faith and purpose that would one day bear fruit in ways no one could have imagined.
Through the support and love they received, each of the children in Bohdan’s family came to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Their father responded to God’s call by becoming a deacon in the local village church, and now the entire family serves together in ministry. Bohdan’s brother, Mykhailo, teaches Sunday school, while one of his twin sisters leads worship, playing the piano with heartfelt devotion.
Their home has become a beacon of hope in the village—they now organize children’s clubs, offering the same care and encouragement they once received, continuing the beautiful cycle of compassion and faith.
As for Bohdan, he has become a devoted preacher, boldly proclaiming the Gospel during church services. After finishing high school, he followed his love for art to the Academy of Arts in Lviv. Today, he works as an art teacher, shaping young minds while quietly living out his faith—proof that one life touched by love and truth can grow to impact many others.
None of this would have been possible without you. Your support through HART didn’t just provide food or supplies — it helped raise a young boy into a man of faith and purpose. It gave a struggling family strength, dignity, and the tools to serve others.
Your kindness has had a ripple effect that will continue for generations. Thank you for believing in children like Bohdan. Your generosity is planting seeds of hope all across Ukraine — and the fruit of that love is truly extraordinary.
Pray for Ukraine, Pray for a Just Peace
Here are specific prayer points that can help guide our prayers for the situation in Ukraine. Please share these with your friends and family.
