Aid to the Church in Need begins second phase of Ukraine aid
AS THE INVASION OF UKRAINE HAS REACHED ITS 46TH DAY, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has begun the second phase of its emergency aid package to the country. Immediately after the start of the war, ACN announced a first package of $1.5M for the dioceses, eparchies, and exarchates both in the west and in the east of Ukraine. These funds have already been distributed.
In this second phase significant financial assistance will go directly to the religious, priests and seminarians who have been hosting and caring for the millions of displaced Ukrainians who are in need of refuge and both physical and spiritual sustenance, as they try to make their way to the borders. A total of $750,00 has already been approved for this new aid package, with close to $220,000 to be added later (currently pending approval). In addition to this sum, ACN has approved 27 projects totaling $630,000 in the form of Mass stipends for Ukrainian priests.
According to Magda Kaczmarek, project manager of ACN for Ukraine, the funds earmarked for this second phase of support for the Ukrainian Church will reinforce the emergency aid for monasteries and parishes sheltering refugees, but also go to purchasing generators to supply energy and vehicles. “The world has responded with generosity to the plight of the Ukrainian people. Many donations are reaching the bordering countries, but there is now a need for vehicles to transport the goods to those who need them in the country, often in locations that have been heavily damaged, or are still under threat,” she reported.
“ACN was one of the first organizations to pledge emergency support for Ukraine, a country where we have been funding projects for decades. It is important that the Ukrainians realize that even as this war drags on, with no end in sight, their fellow believers around the world will not forget them, and ACN will continue to look for ways to help effectively, on the ground, through the local Church.”
In addition to this financial aid, ACN looked for an opportunity to travel to the country to express solidarity with the local Christian community, as well as to see and understand the needs on the ground. Since April 8, Magda Kaczmarek has been in the country.
