This Christmas, while families around the world gather in warmth and safety, millions of Ukrainians will spend the holidays far from home under a cloud of uncertainty, many without heat, power or enough food. Caritas Australia’s Christmas Appeal is a way to spread joy and love to those in need this holiday season, especially families who have been displaced by the darkness of war.
Liudmyla's story
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Liudmyla lived a simple and serene farming life in a village in Kherson. She and her husband cultivated a large garden, growing potatoes, raising chickens and lived off their land.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine shattered that peaceful existence. On February 23, 2022, Liudmyla was in hospital with COVID-19 with her children. The next morning, she woke to news of the invasion. Rather than seeking shelter in the hospital basement, Liudmyla discharged herself from the hospital so that she could be with her family in their home.
The next morning, we woke up, and tanks were already driving down our street. It all happened so fast; they came in quickly, occupied it right away. And it was already too late to leave.
Faced with the daily terror of violence, Liudmyla and her family fled to Mykolaiv along with their dogs and cats in September 2022. But their hardships were far from over.
In Mykolaiv, the family was placed in a fire-damaged house with no windows or doors. They arrived in winter with no supplies, using their last money to buy plastic film to cover broken windows.
Hygiene products and food aid were initially non-existent. Her daughter with Down syndrome struggled most in these conditions, with a flea infestation leading to severe allergic reactions. She was also deeply traumatised by the constant threat of shelling.
Liudmyla holding a humanitarian aid package from Caritas. Photo: Svitlana Savka/Caritas Australia.
Liudmyla eventually moved away from Mykolaiv to another village in Kherson. It was there that she received support from Caritas Ukraine.
Caritas Australia, along with other members of the Caritas confederation, are providing humanitarian funding to Caritas Ukraine to support displaced families like Liudmyla’s.
Caritas Ukraine is one of the largest national humanitarian organisations in Ukraine, providing support to vulnerable populations for over 30 years. With its strong local presence and well-established reputation, Caritas Ukraine is a key humanitarian actor recognised by local authorities, enabling it to effectively plan and implement projects nationwide, even in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
In 2025, the project has provided assistance in the frontline regions of Ukraine, where hostilities are ongoing, in those areas that are most vulnerable to the destruction of civilian infrastructure due to missile strikes by the Russian Federation.
Liudmyla cannot work and earn income because she has to care for her daughter and her brother, a soldier gravely wounded in combat. Liudmyla relies heavily on humanitarian support from organisations like Caritas Ukraine.
“Caritas helps a lot. Gave us bedding, mattresses. They give food packages too,” she said.
“I’m getting really good help from Caritas. They give me everything, everything.
“Local staff are very kind. My child loves drawing. They hold art sessions. I joined once. They draw with a psychologist. I like it here. Staff feel like family now.”
Caritas Ukraine’s children-friendly spaces offer recreational and integration activities, developmental activities, psychosocial support, stress resistance training, emotional training, mental health training, positive coping strategies, psychological counselling for children and parents, as well as joint child-parent activities.
For Liudmyla, her dream is simple: “For the war to end. And for it to end soon. For everything to be like it was. Even if it’s damaged, it will all be rebuilt. We have hands. Everything will be rebuilt, we’ll do it all.”
Caritas Australia’s Christmas Appeal is a meaningful way to help people like Liudmyla and her family who are caught in the darkness of ongoing conflict.
Whether big or small, your donation to Caritas Australia's Christmas Appeal will make a difference for families in need.
Provide aid to families in crisis this Christmas with a Global Gift
Natural disasters, conflict, and extreme weather can strike anywhere, anytime, often impacting the most vulnerable. When you purchase an ‘Humanitarian Aid’ Global Gift, you help ensure vital emergency supplies can reach those in urgent need quickly and effectively.
Each Global Gift supports life-changing programs for people experiencing poverty this Christmas. You’ll also receive a beautifully illustrated card to give to your loved one, a gift that shares the true spirit of Christmas.
