Samaritan’s Purse brings groceries to those in need through local churches in Ukraine, giving a 75-year-old woman and many others the strength to go on.
Hanna* lives alone in southern Ukraine with no family nearby. With each passing year, her health continues to decline, and her small pension barely covers her most basic needs. Years of ongoing conflict have made it dangerous for her to go outside, so she rarely leaves her home. She often looks out the window, quietly prays, and asks God for the strength to get through another day.
“When I hear explosions, I just pray, ‘Lord, give me strength and protect me,’” she said.
But a ray of light pierced the darkness around her when Samaritan’s Purse and a local church partner began delivering nourishing food. For Hanna, the grocery packages are an answer to her prayers—a sign that God has not abandoned her.
Hanna lives alone with no family nearby. Her health declines each year the conflict drags on, and she is largely confined to her home because of the dangers outside.
“I asked God to help me get through somehow… and this aid feels like His hand,” Hanna said.
Deliveries in yellow-and-blue bags—reminding her of the Ukrainian flag—are brimming with grains, pasta, flour, oil, and canned goods. Such bounty prompts her to fold her hands in a prayer of thanksgiving each time they arrive. Each bag gives her enough food for several weeks and relieves her worries about where her next meal is coming from.
“Now I know I have something to cook. And my heart feels calmer,” she said.
Remembering the Hungry
She feels God’s comfort through those who deliver the aid. These church staff and volunteers remind her that even in the worst times, God is near.
“The most important thing is not only the food. It’s that I am remembered,” Hanna said quietly.
When church partners deliver the groceries, they encourage Hanna that God is near, no matter how dark things may appear.
The gift of groceries allows her to divvy up her pension on essential medications and utilities instead of food. The financial relief spills over into her emotional and spiritual life as well. She now exudes more peace and security about the future as she knows she will not be left without food or support even as the conflict continues.
Since 2022, Samaritan’s Purse has distributed 287 million pounds of food to Ukrainians in need such as Hanna. She, like many of the other recipients, is deeply grateful for our efforts to meet urgent needs in partnership with local churches. The personal care extended with every food delivery touches people deeply and points them to God, the ultimate source of peace and strength.
“I pray for you every day,” Hanna said. “May God reward you for your kindness.”
Please pray for Samaritan’s Purse and our church partners as we together continue to serve hungry people in Ukraine in Jesus’ Name.
Please pray for Hanna and other Ukrainians who, without Samaritan’s Purse, would wonder where their next meal would come from. Ask God to use the groceries delivered by our church partners to encourage and sustain people.
“If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:10-11).
*Name changed for security
