Author Diana Kirk
The mom passing warm slices of bread to her kids. The warehouse worker placing that last box on the truck. The child in the after-school program who just discovered: she loves to draw.
These are snapshots from a trip that stayed with Nova Ukraine’s CEO Ambassador, Erin E. McKee, long after she left Lviv, Kyiv, and Kharkiv in April 2026. Because behind each moment is the work of an extraordinary partner organization, helping to heal, build, and empower Ukraine. Together, we’re ensuring that the Ukrainian people remain resilient today, and thrive tomorrow.
In two dozen meetings with partners, local leaders, and people on the ground, here’s what Erin saw.
Lviv: Starting out strong
Erin’s trip began in Lviv. She sat down with Lviv Oblast State Administration Head Maksym Kozytsky to discuss partnership opportunities, met with the Nova Ukraine Lviv team, and visited Plast, Ukraine’s National Scout Organization, whose summer camps Nova Ukraine is proud to support.
But it was a warehouse visit that held special meaning.
A vital Lviv warehouse: rebuilt, restored and better than ever
The shelves are full. The trucks are loading. The team moves with quiet purpose through a modern transit hub designed to supply life-saving medicine and equipment to over 600 medical facilities across Ukraine.
Six months ago, this warehouse didn’t exist.
On November 19, 2025, a Russian attack destroyed Nova Ukraine’s original Lviv facility, along with a million dollars’ worth of medical supplies. Tetiana Avershina, the warehouse manager, recalled, “My day began with an air raid alert and the news that our warehouse was on fire I had no idea what would happen. But people were waiting.”
People were waiting. Within months, Nova Ukraine identified new premises, restored operations, and kept the supply chain moving, without missing a beat. Standing in the rebuilt space, Erin said, “This demonstrates the courage and determination of my team, and of the Ukrainian people themselves. And it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our donors.”
This is our HEAL pillar in action: ensuring that lifesaving medical supplies are delivered while building a more resilient healthcare system.
Kyiv: Moving forward together
On to Kyiv, a city that continues to defy expectations amid relentless air raid sirens. Erin’s schedule was packed: team meetings, a partner roundtable with roughly 25 local organizations, a deeply moving visit to the Maidan Museum honoring the 107 activists killed during the 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity, and a meeting with the Minister of Culture around Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
She visited the Bread of Victory project, through which over two million loaves have been delivered to frontline communities. She checked in with Pro.Svit’s educator-led school model and the Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation’s 4×4 SES driving school, which trains first responders in rescue skills critical after a strike. And she stopped by the Iron Warrior Sport Hub to take in a round of Pétanque for Veterans, a local game that’s become a national model for veteran recovery.
And then there was IPAG.
A new bomb shelter at IPAG, helps women and children receive care safely
When Erin visited Kyiv’s Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology (IPAG), Ukraine’s leading research center for maternal and child health, she saw firsthand what Nova Ukraine has made possible: a restored medical department, a new bomb shelter, and a place where women with high-risk pregnancies, premature newborns, and children from war-affected communities can receive care safely.
The need was real. IPAG had been using a bomb shelter badly in need of repair, where children had to sit for up to 10 hours at a time. Nova Ukraine rebuilt the shelter so families can now sleep comfortably while receiving medical care. It has made a world of difference to moms like Olena. “Kids [were] waking up during air raid alerts, and it was stressful. [Now] we go down at night, all wrapped up in blankets… it is quiet, and everyone is asleep,” she said, smiling.
“Children are the future of Ukraine,” Erin said. “Mothers will nourish that future. We need to take care of both.” Nova Ukraine’s BUILD pillar is about making sure that infrastructure holds.
Kharkiv: Seeing it through
Last stop: Kharkiv, just 25 miles from the Russian border and often in the line of fire. But standing in Freedom Square, the largest public square in Europe, Erin didn’t see a city that had given up. “This square is dedicated to freedom,” she said. “That is what Ukraine is fighting for, and what Nova Ukraine is supporting, every single day.”
In Kharkiv, Erin met with regional leaders, visited a Resilience Space providing power during outages, and stopped at two partner clinical centers supporting defenders. She visited Hell’s Kitchen, where 100 volunteers, including 10 to 15 from other countries, prepare 1,200 meals a day for hospital patients. And she visited the KVANT x-ray equipment plant, which has developed innovative, portable diagnostic systems that are transforming frontline care.
But for Erin, one last visit served as a reminder that Ukraine’s future is also being shaped in its classrooms and community centers.
Zmistovno’s after-school centers help kids keep learning
Erin arrived at a Zmistovno after-school center in Kharkiv to find children rediscovering what this war keeps trying to take from them: learning, creating, and having fun. Kids get free lessons in math, English, robotics, and creative arts. Since May 2023, Nova Ukraine has helped 55 centers in Zmistovno’s network welcome more than 1.8 million children.
Parents are really seeing the difference. “[My daughter] didn’t have a place to come,” said one grateful dad. “I see the result. Nonna became more creative. It’s very important to us that she has a place to communicate with other kids.”
For Nova Ukraine, this is the EMPOWER pillar at its most essential. “We don’t want to let this war steal their childhood,” Erin said. “We’re here to empower Ukraine to own its independent future. Starting today.”
The bigger picture
From Lviv to Kharkiv and every city in between, the mission is clear: keeping Ukraine strong today while building toward a thriving, prosperous future. As Erin puts it, “It matters, even at a small level. Making sure our support and constancy from the American people is known, seen, and felt by the Ukrainian people.”
None of this happens without our partners, donors, and volunteers. We are deeply grateful to every one of them, and proud to keep moving forward together.
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