December 5 is Volunteer Day!
The calendar simply cannot keep up with the number of alerts, losses, and challenges we face. Every day, someone loses their home, is forced to flee, rescues others from danger, or learns to rebuild their life from scratch. And every day, there are people who, without hesitation or loud words, step in to help.
Volunteers are the beating hearts that never leave anyone behind. They stand by those in pain and bring warmth to places where it is cold and frightening.
Over the past 11 years, volunteers from all over the world have joined the East SOS team – from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Georgia, and many other countries. They traveled thousands of kilometers to support our foundation and the people of Ukraine.
Today, we are sharing stories of several volunteers who represent the hundreds who have stood with us over the years. One of them is Darrell McKay, from Canada – a former engineer, now a photographer and volunteer. In November 2025, he visited Ukraine for the eighth time and, for the first time, joined the East SOS evacuation team. Darrell worked at a transit point for evacuees in Pavlohrad.
I have visited Ukraine to help eight times already. In total, I have spent about 250 days there, working from the western border to the eastern front. I have assisted IDPs, evacuated people, and raised almost $150,000 for various organizations to purchase stretchers, tourniquets, first-aid kits, excavators, medical vehicles, animal feed, and food, as well as camouflage and night-vision devices for the military. I believe that compassion, understanding, and awareness of history are essential in order to help.
Jack Horace, an elementary school teacher and professional photographer from the United States, also dedicated his time and heart to supporting Ukraine and our foundation. He first came to Ukraine in 2024, teaching English to children at the East SOS center in Kharkiv and later in Vinnytsia. After returning the following year, Jack continued teaching adults while capturing touching moments and warm human stories through his photography.
It’s heartbreaking that children in Ukraine must endure the horrors of war instead of enjoying a carefree childhood. I want them to feel joy, to stay curious, to want to learn languages and grow.
A war crimes documentarian, Timo joined the East SOS evacuation missions along the front line in 2022. In March 2023, he took part in a monitoring mission in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions to assess destruction. Later, he joined the reconstruction team – at that time, 37 houses in Zahryzove and Izium were restored.
The scale of destruction in eastern Ukraine after the full-scale russian invasion is immense. I traveled along the front line and saw how people endured winter with broken windows and roofs. I wanted to support Ukrainians, so I joined a reconstruction project supported by the German organization Project Nadiya, which provided tools and a vehicle for monitoring and repair work.
We feel deep gratitude and respect for each of you who gives your time, energy, and warmth to make someone else’s life even a little easier.
Thank you – thousands of times – to our dear partners and friends. Happy Volunteer Day!
