Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, CWS has expanded its support to reach some of the country’s most vulnerable populations. Through the Caring Hearts project, we’re partnering with local organizations to provide essential aid and emotional support to older adults living in remote villages of Odesa Oblast. On February 24, 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia …
From Seed to Sustenance: Matisho Justina’s Journey Toward a Thriving Future
In Tanzania’s Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Matisho Justina transformed her family’s future by planting fruit trees through the CWS Wezesha Project. Her success not only brought fresh food and self-reliance to her household but also inspired a wider movement of sustainable agriculture in her community. What if a fruit tree could change everything? For Matisho Justina, a refugee living in Nyarugusu …
CWS Reflects on the Promise of June, Renews its Commitment to Justice and Inclusion
June 11, 2025
Washington, D.C.—The month of June calls upon Americans to reflect on who we are – and what we hold dear. In celebrating PRIDE, Immigrant Heritage Month, Juneteenth and World Refugee Day, we are invited and compelled to recognize the complexity, strength, tension and beauty of what it means to be American. This June, however, the stakes feel especially high. …
CWS Kits and Blankets: Sharing God’s Love Near and Far
June 10, 2025
Then Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 Your Church Is Helping CWS Bring Comfort, Dignity and Hope to Our Neighbors So far this year, thanks to your compassion, CWS Blankets and Kits have been shared from Grand Rapids to Chicago, Dallas to Cleveland, Annapolis to Poughkeepsie—reaching neighbors in …
Water, Chickens, and Hope: The New Life Hadijah Built Through CWS Support
June 9, 2025
Hadijah Tsisti Mbugita, a single mother in Tanzania’s Kigoma Region, received support through the CWS-supported Giving Machine Project. By learning poultry farming, she built a sustainable livelihood that now supports her children’s education, provides clean water at home, and empowers her as a community leader and changemaker. A Mother’s Struggle and a Turning Point In the heart of Muganza Village …
From Struggle to Success: Zelda’s Journey of Empowerment through Chicken Farming
June 6, 2025
Zelda Steward Mupengu, a mother of five in Muganza Village, Tanzania, transformed her life through the Giving Machine Project. By gaining essential training in chicken farming, she turned a struggling livelihood into a thriving business—improving her family’s nutrition, income, and future while mentoring others in her community. From Struggle to Support: The Start of Zelda’s Journey In Muganza Village, Tanzania, …
New Travel Ban, Impacting the Displaced from 19 Countries, is a Horrendous Mistake based on Discrimination
June 5, 2025
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today condemns the Trump administration’s proclamation that establishes a new travel ban for individuals from 19 countries. The ban includes sweeping travel restrictions for 12 countries, and partial restrictions for 7 other countries. The proclamation bans people, based on their nationality, from traveling to the United States with few narrow exceptions. The administration justifies this latest …
Stories of Change
Diana and her children receive essential winter supplies, including clothing and footwear
Carrying Hope Across Borders: Diana’s Story of Strength, Survival and New Beginnings
When war forced Diana and her family to flee their home in Ukraine, they arrived in Moldova with little but hope for a safe future. Thanks to the CWS winterization project and the resilience of a mother’s love, they’re building a new life—one step and season at a time.
A Family Uprooted by War
When war broke out in Ukraine, the peace that thousands of families had once lived in became shattered. For Diana and her two children, the days became marked with the sound of sirens and feelings of constant fear for their lives.
On August 31, 2023, Diana made the difficult decision to leave her small village with her children and, together with her mother, fled to Chisinau in search of a safer place to live. Once they arrived, the two women had to start from scratch, figuring out how to build a new home for themselves and their family.
In Chisinau, Diana rents a small apartment and works as a cleaner to support her family, but the income she makes from her new job makes it difficult to cover their daily needs. With her two young children still in school, Diana’s mother helps with caregiving while Diana works, each of them lending a hand to build a stable life as best they can.
As seasons change, families like Diana’s who have been forced from their homes are forced to face a new challenge: the bitter winter cold.
Hope and Warmth for the Winter Ahead
The CWS winterization project, in partnership with local organization Diaconia, provided a ray of hope for Diana and her family, who were able to receive essential supplies like clothing and footwear, along with other much-needed items. Now, they are better equipped to stay healthy and warm as temperatures drop.
“This help is vital for us. It is very important,” shared Diana. “You know that you can rely on someone and most importantly that you are not alone on this journey.”
Despite the challenges her family has faced, Diana remains hopeful. She dreams of the day when the war will be over, and she and her family will be able to return home, tend to their garden and taste the cherries in their backyard.
“Among strangers it’s hard. However, I am happy to have my children and my mom close by. It’s hard, but I know I’m not alone on this journey. We will be fine.”
Although the future is still uncertain, Diana and her family are a testament to the strength in resiliency and the power in never losing hope for a better tomorrow.
This story is possible thanks to CWS’ membership in ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy. You can learn more and support CWS’ work with Ukrainian refugees in Moldova here.
Fact Sheet – Benefits Restrictions for Humanitarian Arrivals in Reconciliation Bill
June 2, 2025
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a multibillion dollar reconciliation package that dramatically expands funding for immigration detention and deportation and slashes funding for key benefits and services that strengthen families, communities, and local economies. If signed into law, the bill would restrict access to health care benefits and food assistance for many otherwise-eligible humanitarian arrivals. …
Church World Service Celebrates the Beginning of Pride Month
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today marks the beginning of Pride by celebrating our LGBTQ+ neighbors and calling for equal protections under the law for all. The organization stresses that as the Trump administration eliminates protections for asylum-seekers and refugees, the global LGBTQ+ community will be particularly impacted. Many people who are displaced are persecuted, ostracized, or under threat simply for …