» House of Hope / Street Kids' Center in Kherson

» Heritage House Project

» Orphanage in Odessa

» Children's Cancer Hospital in Kiev

» Children's Hospital in Kherson

» Orphanages in Kherson Region

In January of 2005 and 2006 (which is when Ukraine celebrates Christmas), UCAF led groups on “Father Christmas Visits”, bringing hundreds of winter coats, knit wool caps and money to buy small Christmas gifts for nearly 2,500 orphans and street kids, as well as food for the poorest of the poor in Kherson. UCAF plans to deliver similar such badly needed food and gifts during the Christmas season every year.

Short-term plans (2006 and 2007) are to raise enough funds to keep the Kherson street kids center in operation, as well as seek out other projects for which they can provide assistance. Among the projects already identified are an orphanage in Odessa, an orphanage in Kherson which has had no heat or hot water for years, and an orphans’ sanitarium south of Kherson which lacks even basic supplies such as bed sheets, clothing and underwear for the kids, a laundry facility and numerous other essentials.

In the past few months, one of our primary Ukrainian partners, Dr. Andrei Revtov, left his position as pastor of a small church in Kherson to start The National Humanitarian Foundation in Ukraine – House of Hope. Having played a key role in starting the Kherson kids center, Dr. Revtov’s dream and goal is to use the Kherson center as a model, and, with enough financial assistance, set up similar centers in all 25 oblasts (similar to our states) in Ukraine. He campaigns vigorously to raise the awareness of people in Ukraine, Western Europe and the United States as to the needs of these children, the opportunity to do something constructive to help them, and the goal of helping change the way these poor and unfortunate children are treated. UCAF plans to work with House of Hope to the extent possible, serving as their U.S. representative.

Longer-term plans (2007 and beyond) include assisting with job training for the older children in order to help them obtain the skills necessary to obtain employment in trades (electrician, plumbing, construction, etc.), service (accounting, bookkeeping, paralegal, etc.) and computer technology.