Books, Angels and Hope: Bringing Christmas Joy to 530 Children in Kharkiv 🎄
This Christmas, while much of the world gathered in warmth and safety, USF CEO Natalia Pastushenko spent Christmas Day in a school shelter with 200 children, followed by the next two days with many more children at Kharkiv policlinics. What began as a modest goal became something truly extraordinary.
We launched our Christmas Gift Appeal hoping to give at least 200 children the chance to read Ukrainian books. Thanks to a powerful partnership with #KiwiKARE, led by Tenby Powell, and the overwhelming generosity of hundreds of donors, we were able to reach 530 children—more than double our original goal.
This project was deeply inspiring. So many incredible people poured their hearts, time and love into making every single gift meaningful. Together, we gifted these children hope, joy and moments of happiness during an incredibly difficult time.
🎁 What Each Child Received
Every child was given a thoughtfully prepared gift pack containing:
A $20 AUD gift certificate to purchase
A Ukrainian-language book from Ranok, a Kharkiv-based publishing company
A beautiful handmade angel from Ukrainian brand Koza Dereza
Australian-made soap
A handmade heart, created with love by the Tassie for Ukraine superstars 💕
A Carman’s muesli bar, generously donated by Australian company Carman’s 🙏🏻
A chocolate Santa
Mandarins
And a balloon 🎈
Gratitude From the Heart
A heartfelt thank you to Tenby Powell for his unwavering drive to create meaningful, positive impact, and for working so hard to improve the quality of life for Ukrainians affected by terror. The financial and on-the-ground support from #KiwiKARE truly amplified what we were able to achieve.
We also extend a very special thank you to Carolyn Creswell, founder of Carman’s Kitchen, for not only creating a wonderful Australian product, but for building a truly socially conscious brand 💪🏻.
Our sincere thanks to the doctors and nurses at St Vincent’s Private Melbourne, especially Dr Barbara Demediuk, for stretching every dollar and making the most of the budget for this initiative.
From all of us at the Ukraine Support Fund, we wish everyone happiness, good health, and peaceful skies in 2026.
With love and gratitude,
Your USF Team 💙💛
