In August, the community in Carmichael, California, gathered for another Ukrainian Night, which became not only a place of spiritual prayer, but also a platform for supporting Ukrainians during the war.
This was reported by the event organizers.
The guest of honor was Rich Desmond, a representative of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors (District 3). He addressed the audience with the words of John Donne’s poem “For Whom the Bell Tolls”: «По кому подзвін»:
“The death of any man diminishes me, for I am a part of humanity. The war in your country affects me not only as an elected official, but also as an ordinary person,” Desmond noted.
He emphasized that his duty is to support communities, and Sacramento County is helping the local Ukrainian community, trying to meet all its needs.
“Your presence makes this community better, and I am proud to be a part of it. I will continue to fight, pray and remain united with the Ukrainian community. I pray for you, for your families and for your country,” he stressed.
The Protez Foundation from Minnesota was a special guest at the event. Representatives of the organization told the story of two Ukrainian teenagers who are currently undergoing prosthetics in the United States.
The founder of the initiative, Yakiv Gradinar, said that his project began in a garage in 2022, and now has 735 completed prosthetics. According to him, there are about 80 thousand amputees in Ukraine, and the need for prosthetics is extremely great.
“We find our mission in helping these people. We are open to any cooperation,” he said.
The participants also hospitably received the First Ukrainian Pentecostal Church in Carmichael. Pastor Valeriy Lubas and Mykhailo Tkach spoke about the charitable activities and assistance that the community has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The traditional eight prayers of the “Ukrainian Night” this time were supplemented by one more – for President Donald Trump, who had a meeting with Putin in Alaska that very day.
The organizers invited everyone to join the next “Ukrainian Night”, which will take place in September.
Photo: Ukrainian Night group on Facebook
Author: Inna Mikhno