Southern Baptists provide food, shelter, generators as Ukraine enters winter during war

By Send Relief Staff

Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid have plunged roughly 10 million Ukrainians into darkness and cold as the winter months close in. Donations through Send Relief, the Southern Baptist compassion ministry, are providing churches across Ukraine and Eastern Europe with food, generators, resources to house refugees and more during this critical season of ministry.

“This winter is going to be life-threatening. It’s a matter of survival for the Ukrainian people,” said Jason Cox, Send Relief Vice President of International Ministry. He listed food, warm clothes, the winterization of damaged homes, heating supplies and generators among the greatest physical needs.

Send Relief partners load generators from a warehouse to distribute to churches in Greece that are caring for Ukrainian refugees. Photo submitted by a Send Relief partner.

Because of the generosity of Southern Baptists, Send Relief partners have already been providing churches in Ukraine with generators so that they can offer heat and housing for internally displaced persons, of which there are 6.54 million in the country. Gifts to Send Relief are also funding power supplies for countries across Eastern Europe, like Moldova, where more than 60 Baptist churches are preparing for an influx of 250,000 refugees during the winter months.

Through partnerships with churches and Baptist Unions all over Europe, Send Relief continues to meet dire hunger needs for displaced Ukrainians. One such initiative is feeding 3,300 Ukrainians every week for the next six months through food packages sent by Polish national partners and distributed by Ukrainian churches to their local communities.

Send Relief partners load emergency food rations off a truck to deliver to local partners and churches across Moldova that are meeting hunger needs for Ukrainian refugees. Photo submitted by a Send Relief partner.

Southern Baptist donors are also helping Send Relief’s partners from the Czech Republic to work with Ukrainian churches near the front lines to distribute food where civilians have nothing to eat, making way for opportunities to share the gospel and connect people with a local church.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Nauris and Sanita Graudiņš, a church-planting couple in Latvia, have been hosting Ukrainian refugees from Mariupol at their hotel. Gifts to Send Relief are allowing them to continue their ministry as they help Ukrainians find medical care, jobs, childcare and schooling. They also hold worship services every Sunday and are available to the refugees to listen and provide spiritual support.

“We could not be responding with the pace and the scale that we are if it weren’t for the generosity of Southern Baptists,” said Cox.

To date, gifts to Send Relief have sponsored nearly 100 projects to help Ukrainian families across Europe, more than half of which have taken place inside Ukraine. 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees are expected to be served by ongoing projects, and that number continues to climb as Send Relief continues their work into 2023.

Displaced Ukrainians seek refuge at a church in Eastern Europe. Photo submitted by a Send Relief partner.

Reports from just one-third of the projects have recorded that 48,000 Ukrainians have heard the gospel and 16,000 have accepted Christ as a result of Southern Baptists’ gifts to Send Relief. Additionally, 466 national churches have been involved in Send Relief’s response, showing the organization’s commitment to working through the local church.

Bryant Wright, President of Send Relief, emphasized the importance of continued Southern Baptist support to meet the needs of Ukrainians: “Now winter has set in. The war is no longer front-page news. The needs are overwhelming and a large portion of the gifts for Ukraine have already been distributed. May SBC Christians consider giving through Send Relief this winter to meet some of these overwhelming needs.”

To give financial support for the work in Ukraine and surrounding countries as Send Relief continues to respond, visit Send Relief’s website.

Southern Baptists can also support this work by raising awareness for ongoing needs at their church and praying.

Pray for those in Ukraine living in extremely difficult conditions this winter. Pray that those who receive heat, food and shelter will also be touched by the gospel.

Pray for churches both inside Ukraine and in the surrounding countries to have endurance to continue ministering to those in need. Pray for the safety of churches who are distributing food near the front lines.

Pray for God to continue supplying resources for ministry among Ukrainians.

Help Ukrainian families during the war!

Give to relief efforts now.

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Published January 5, 2023

Send Relief Staff