The month of May

 It feels like a long time since my last post. Life has become very busy, sometimes stressful, in the last few weeks, with changes in our foreign volunteer management coinciding with a reduced number of  volunteers. In past years I've posted around Vyshyvanka Day (День вишиванки, the annual celebration of Ukraine's traditional vyshyvanka embroidered clothing), but this came and went on 21 May. This year, as well as people wearing their vyshyvanka shirts and dresses, a more poignant tradition was initiated: embroidered ribbons to tie somewhere, as a reminder of those who have lost their lives in this war. Ribbons were placed at the door of Hell's Kitchen for us to take. I placed mine near my apartment, where I'll pass it every day on my way to work.

Russia's attacks on civilians have taken a grim turn for the worse, with significantly more drone and missile strikes, reportedly, over the last 2 months. Last Saturday night Russia used its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile for a third time in Ukraine, as part of a massive attack on the capital, Kyiv, and the surrounding region, which killed four people and injured about 100. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said: “Russia hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorises Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centres. These are abhorrent acts of terror meant to kill as many civilians as possible.” She described the use of the Oreshnik as a “political scare tactic and reckless nuclear brinkmanship” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/24/russia-hits-kyiv-ukraine-hypersonic-ballistic-missile#img-2

In Kharkiv region, 13 people died and 34 were injured during the week of May 18-24. A driver died on the ring road of Kharkiv on May 21, as a result of a first person view (FPV) drone hit.

https://suspilne.media/amp/kharkiv/1312547-12-ludej-zaginuli-se-34-zaznali-poranen-naslidki-udariv-rf-na-harkivsini-18-24-travna/

But, in the midst of continued sirens and, frequently, drones flying overhead and explosions, Kharkiv continues its spring - summer beautification process. Kharkiv's city workers plant out seasonal flowerbeds with great care and detail wherever there is an opportunity - here, beside an area that was heavily bombed at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Hell's Kitchen

The current theme is potatoes...and more potatoes! We are feeding 200 more people which means 200 more meals and potatoes are a significant part of every meal.

We peel the oldest potatoes first, which can be a challenge!...

We're operating with a very small group of foreign volunteers at present. We're not sure why fewer volunteers are applying to work in Hell's Kitchen. One theory is that it may be due to increasing air fares as a result of rising fuel costs due to the Iran war. One of our volunteers needed to have some medical treatment in hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. Our current small band of volunteers is working very hard, often doing double shifts, to get all the vegetables prepared, the pots and pans washed and the bread dough rolled, alongside our Ukrainian colleagues. 

Vladi, in the middle, left a few days ago and was replaced by Mael, a returning volunteer from France.

Franklin, our foreign volunteer manager, left Hell's Kitchen after 3 years of service. We miss him but understand that it's time for him to move on. He wants to spend more time teaching English, which is his passion. He is continuing his fundraising activities. Our new manager is Ed, who is doing a great job of getting to grips with the systems we have in place, and we're working together to improve them. Like Franklin, Ed is a cat lover, and so we often have our management meetings in the Cat Cafe. Here, it looks as though a leadership training course is taking place!

It would be disingenuous of me to claim that the management change has been plain sailing. I've had to take a look at how I manage the volunteer scheduler and the way I communicate. I think I have learned more about myself in two years of working here than in the whole of my previous career, and I'm still learning. Sometimes I feel like this cat!

Continuing the animal theme, we had an unexpected visitor to the Kitchen one day.

This baby squirrel is being raised by a soldier in a trench!

Recently, all the kitchen volunteers were gifted a Go Karting experience. This was a wonderful opportunity for the younger volunteers and some of the volunteers' grandchildren to have fun and show off their competitive skills. 

Go karting is not my thing so I didn't go. One of my greatest sources of enjoyment outside the Kitchen is our weekly English conversation club - a small group of 4 - 6 volunteers. Usually, we have a theme for discussion or an exercise. Over the past two weeks we've been looking at what qualities helps us to cope in times of difficulty and trying to rank them in order of importance.

The idea of the exercise was for the group to agree on the top 5 qualities but everyone's were different. Our youngest member, Alona, a high school student, felt that discipline was the most important quality - to help you achieve your goal. For others it was optimism and faith, and for one, simply people. The concept we struggled with was 'loyalty,' which is not that easy to define. This is homework for next time!

We have a new member of our English conversation group, Inna, who I support with her camouflage netting group with your donations. Inna is involved with other voluntary initiatives, including "Games of Heroes" (Ігри Героїв), a twice-yearly, nationwide, adaptive sports competition held in Kharkiv for wounded military veterans, including those with amputations and wheelchair users. Behind the razzmatazz in this video, the stream of young men with amputated limbs is a stark reminder of the toll this war is taking on a generation of Ukrainians.

Donations

Thank you, as always, for your donations; however small, they are always effective.

I gave some of Mary's (from Trawden, England) hand-knitted bears to Adults for Children. They were handed out to children of internally displaced families, waiting in line with their parents for donations. The bears were as popular as ever.

I continue to support a community in Kherson. My contact, Anastasiia, is an unofficial community leader who works tirelessly to help those in need. She reported that there was a massive drone attack on her neighbourhood last week, in which two people died and many buildings were destroyed. One drone exploded near the playground of her apartment block. It was raining that day so the children stayed at home, which saved them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and thanks, also, for comments.

To make a donation to the regular causes I support, please open PayPal and, when asked for email, enter sunflower_house@hotmail.co.uk

You can specify where you would like your donation to go, including whether or not you wish to support a civilian only cause; otherwise I will send the money where I think the need is greatest:

The Adults for Children foundation in Kharkiv supports children and families affected by war, through humanitarian aid, including food and medicine. They focus on psychological rehabilitation, educational initiatives and creating safe spaces for children's development.

https://instagram.com/adults_for_children?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Hell's Kitchen cooks daily nutritious meals and bakes bread, for hospitals, wounded soldiers and others in need.

https://hellskitchenukraine.org/

Franklin, former Hell's Kitchen foreign volunteer coordinator, supports soldiers and medics on the frontline. PayPal: bearstateteacher1@yahoo.com

Inna runs a small group of volunteers, who make camouflage nets, ghillie suits and stretchers. Paypal: moreman@3g.ua

If you would like to donate to a charity that supports animals - Animal Rescue Kharkiv. https://www.animalrescuekharkiv.org/

🐾 Kharkiv Paw Crew runs a shelter for horses and dogs.