Offering Hope to Ukrainian Refugees

Galina and her mother, Tatiana, are from Mariupol; one of the first cities Russia attacked in its war with Ukraine.  

Galina explained, “I worked at a supermarket. The windows rattled from the explosions. The store was packed with people. There was such panic and fear, no one knew what to do.”

Their apartment was damaged by rocket fire, so Galina and her mother took shelter in the basement of the building. As food ran out, Galina bought stale, moldy bread just so she and her mother had something to eat.

“I never prayed so much. Night and day, I asked God to have mercy on us,” said Galina.

After ten days in the basement, a rescue bus came and took Galina and her mother out of the city. They spent 8 days on the road before finally arriving in Moldova. Because they’re Jewish, they were then able to fly to Israel as refugees and new immigrants.

Galina said, “Israel is a safe place and we are grateful to be here.”

They rented an apartment with money from a government grant, but Galina still needed to provide for her elderly mother. They didn’t have appliances in their apartment, or much food.

“We came with only the clothes on our backs,” said Galina. “We knew we couldn’t make it on our own. We needed help.”  

Then Galina met one of our volunteers and learned about CBN Israel. We started giving her and her mother groceries. We also got them a much-needed stove and washing machine.

“In our war-torn Ukraine, I could only dream of fresh bread, but now I’m in a peaceful place, and you bring me food. I’m extremely grateful to you for helping my mother and me,” said Galina.  

Thanks to those who support CBN Israel, Galina and Tatiana now have hope for their new life in Israel.

Galina said, “Your support and your prayers are very important. We feel your prayers when we face difficult situations, and the Lord sends the right people to help us. May the Lord repay you for your generosity.”