Results of the charitable campaign “Let’s fill their hearts with warmth”, which was organized by the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) have been summarized.

Nearly $92,000 USD was collected, which was used to purchase gifts for 3,235 children. The recipients were children of Ukrainian military personnel, as well as children who were internally displaced due to the hostilities in the Donbas.

The charitable campaign ran from December 2017 to February 2018 and united CYM youth from the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Belgium, Portugal with their peers in Ukraine – a testimony to the unity of the Ukrainian people in the fight against the aggressor. CYM members organized various sports, cultural and artistic events and gatherings, as well as donated some of their own savings by ”doing without” some entertainment and personal things.

Parcels of clothing, footwear, toys, stationery and sweets were collected and/or purchased with the funds raised. The recipients were children from the following cities of Ukraine: Kalush, Khmelnytsky, Novoaidar, Kyiv, Ternopil, Lviv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kramatorsk, Kaharlyk, Skvyra.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) has organized such a world-wide charity marathon. The first one took place in 2014, during which more than 7,000 gifts were donated to Ukraine for a total amount of 200,000 USD.

In the opinion of the organizers of this charitable initiative, the project “Let’s fill their hearts with warmth” unites Ukrainians around the world with a common goal and expression of support for the defenders of Ukraine and their families. This is echoed in the numerous expressions of gratitude received by the CYM World Executive. “Children and their parents not only felt the joy of Christmas, but also realized that the Ukrainian family is not limited to the territory of their home, settlement, country – it covers the whole world where true Ukrainian hearts also beat! – said a letter of gratitude sent to CYM members by the leaders of Novoaidarsky district administration and district council. – We express our sincere gratitude to the world community of CYM for carrying out these much needed acts of kindness. We wish everyone who has participated all the very best and we look forward to continued cooperation!”

The importance of this annual campaign is also emphasized by the head of the Ternopil regional administration, Stepan Barna. In his opinion, this demonstrates the unity of Ukrainians around the world in the common goal of support for the families of Ukrainian soldiers. In addition, it provides another important humanitarian aspect, which is the dissemination of truthful information about the situation in Ukraine to the international community, caused by the occupation of Crimea and fighting in eastern Ukraine. “It is difficult to overestimate the value of the good deeds you have initiated, which in fact warm the hearts of children whose hearts ache from the war, inspiring them with faith and hope for a speedy resolution and victory”, – the head of the Ternopil region notes.

One of the military units thanked CYM members for their patriotism and their unwavering stance on the protection of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity. The best part for the members of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM), – the participants and organizers of the “Let’s fill their hearts with warmth” campaign – was the joyful sparkle in the eyes of the Ukrainian children and their sincere smiles as they received the gifts and Christmas greetings from their Ukrainian Diaspora peers.

“Ukrainians of the world have once again demonstrated with unity, their sincere concern for the situation in Ukraine. Their support and desire to assist proves that Ukraine remains in their hearts. Their love for Ukraine is generous and effective!”- says the coordinator of the campaign “Let’s fill their hearts with warmth”, Yuriy Ilyash.