How the community in Washington helps the Plast headquarters in Dnipro

From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the volunteer headquarters of Plast in Dnipro secured the reliable support of the community of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Washington. During this time, they handed over tens of thousands of dollars worth of humanitarian aid.

Moreover, some of the community decided to join Plast themselves and develop the formation center there.

Today, Plast unites thousands of people around the world. Together, they help our defenders and raise a generation of strong Ukrainians even in times of war.

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“My husband and I learned to put tourniquets on top of each other to test them”

The Plast volunteer headquarters in Dnipro launched its activities in the first days of the full-scale invasion.  One of the key areas of their activity was medical aid.

At that time, the head of staff, Rada Lisnichenko, was actively engaged in the search for xenoskin. It is used as a temporary skin substitute for severe burns. One of the parishioners of the Cathedral Church in Washington, Olga Chebanenko, had heart about this. She is a Ukrainian originally from Dnipro.

Olga
At first, the Council was very happy that it was possible to find this xenoskin and the funds for it. And then the questions grew so much that I began to hear the desperation in her voice. I couldn't manage my money. Then I left and simply asked people who were strangers to me at that time for about 100,000 hryvnias. And they gave them to me. This was the start of my volunteering.

Subsequently, the headquarters in Dnipro and the parish in Washington began to cooperate on other goods that were needed in Ukraine. Olga had to learn medical terms on the go in order to explain to the community what the needs are now.

“The council constantly said that we need tourniquets. And I learned well that they are needed, but what it is… I did not understand. At first, I associated it with turnstiles in the subway, just to remember. Then the Council sent me various materials about it, my husband and I learned to put these tourniquets on top of each other to test them.

Later, she explained what an occlusive, a decompression needle, a bandage are, how to put together a first aid kit for a soldier and everything else. I had to understand this, because I had to explain to everyone what we had to buy,” Olga recalls.

Oleksandra Polyanchikova, a Scout from Dnipro, says that during more than a year of full-scale war, the community of the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Andrew helped raise funds and purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of humanitarian aid.

Oleksandra 
We owe them rare medical supplies for hospitals and a variety of help for injured adults and children.

“The scarf is a gift from my hometown from those whom I value very much”

Olga is very proud of this scarf and the opportunity to help Plast and develop it even far across the ocean.

“The solemn closing of the plastun year in Washington was a great opportunity to wear my precious gift from my native Ukraine and stand next to my plastun children.

The scarf was not the same as everyone else’s, that is, it distinguished me among parents and even among children, so there were many questions. The most popular: “Where can you order one?” I’m embarrassed because I can’t bring myself to say that I got it for my volunteering. Therefore, I answered that it is impossible to buy it, because it is a gift from my hometown from those whom I value very much.

And I will continue to help them. To the end, to Victory” (Olga).

We thank Olga, the entire parish community of the Cathedral of St. Andriy in Washington. Thank all our friends and partners for trusting and helping Plast!

Together, we will be able to overcome the enemy, rebuild our Ukraine after victory, and raise a generation of strong Ukrainians for it.

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