Stories of Change

Aliona and Ionel at the CWS supported distribution center

The Warmth and Love of a Foster Mom

Aliona, a Ukrainian foster mom, has a huge heart. A heart she has opened to spread love and warmth to three foster children and two biological children.

When we met Aliona she was gathering winter clothing for all her children at the CWS-supported donation distribution center. This caring act is just one of many that Aliona does for all of her children each day.

Despite the major financial responsibility it is to foster children, Aliona and her husband, Pentru, are certain of the important work they are doing. She told us, “It wasn’t easy at all, but when I learned the life story of these children, I said to myself, ‘I want and I will be able to give them the warmth and love they didn’t get from their biological parents’”. Her foster children love their foster parents and call Aliona and Pentru “Mother” and “Father”.

Twelve-year-old Ionel is one of the family’s foster children. When he was a young boy he was abandoned by his father and neglected by his mother who struggled with alcoholism. Ever since he became Aliona’s foster son, his life improved significantly. He told us, “We love our mother Aliona very much. Thanks to her, we are always dressed, clean and very happy. I really want to make a lot of money when I grow up and buy Mom and Dad a new car and a new house.”

Ionel enjoys helping out with household responsibilities and his favorites are when he gets to help his foster dad, Pethru, with the garden and car repairs. He hopes to one day become a mechanical engineer but his greatest dream reflects the selflessness and kindness of his foster mother. “I hope I will be able to help other abandoned children in the future. Maybe, I will even build a modern center for children where there will be no place for sadness and pain.”

The family has received support through donations and vouchers that can be used for food, hygiene products and clothes. Aliona said, “Thank you for the $50 voucher for food, hygiene items and winter clothes that Ionel chose today. All this allows us to save money and use it to pay for utility costs which have increased too much lately”. She added, “We will celebrate today with the whole family and I will buy the children some sweets so they feel like it’s a real celebration.”

Today, we want to celebrate Aliona. Her dedication to her children is a noble display of the warmth, strength and selflessness mothers like her embody.

When we asked for support for our Ukrainian neighbors, the CWS global community took action and helped make an impact on the lives of families like Aliona’s. To continue supporting Ukrainians in Moldova, you can donate here.

Stories of Change

Top: Mark's painting, Bottom: Mark and the art supplies he received

A Young Man with A Plan

While war may seem to stop or slow down ordinary life, for children affected by it, it may do the opposite. Children affected by war are often forced to speed up their lives and become little adults. Young boys and girls may feel like they have to step up when a parent is deployed or their families experience a loss. When we met 13-year-old Mark, we recognized that he was one of these young adults.

When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Mark, his mother and his his little brother were all forced to flee to neighboring Moldova. Like many other Ukrainian fathers, Mark’s dad had to stay behind in Odessa to join the military effort in defending Ukraine. Quickly, Mark stepped up to the plate and began to engage in new responsibilities. He learned how to use public transport, went grocery shopping, helped with housework and he took care of his little brother.

During his school classes at Anastasis, the CWS-supported educational center in Balti, Mark started thinking about how to take care of his mom and brother. He decided he would become an artist and sell his paintings. His first goal was to use the money from his paintings to buy his mom a birthday present.

Mark got to work and took both his school commitments and art lessons at Anastasis very seriously. He was a young man with a plan! To support Mark in his artistic endeavors, we gifted him a brand-new art kit. As soon as he completed his painting, our partners at the center surprised him by buying it from him to showcase in the center. Mark is saving the money to buy a gift for his mom and brighten up her birthday.

Today, Mark is still on his journey to become a successful artist. Through our program, we are making sure Mark can pursue his dreams while also feeling the freedom to have fun and just be a kid. Mark’s beautiful painting is a bright and colorful reminder of what our youngest program participants can do when they are determined, encouraged and full of hope.

As the war continues, you can support other children like Mark by donating here. 

The Welcome Corps Will Bring New Communities into the Joy of Sponsoring Refugee Arrivals


January 19, 2023

New York City–CWS today applauds the launch of The Welcome Corps– a new program that will increase the capacity of U.S. refugee resettlement by giving everyday Americans the opportunity to sponsor refugees from around the world. The Welcome Corps is an important evolution to expand refugee resettlement, building upon 40 years of public-private partnership in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program …

Stories of Change

Vitalina and her two sons

Language Lessons Open New Doors

Watching your child struggle in school can be heartbreaking and frustrating, especially if you don’t know much about what they are learning. For parents who have had to leave their home country and don’t speak the language of their new home, this challenge can feel impossible.

Vitalina, a refugee from Ukraine, came face to face with this struggle when she and her two sons were forced to start a new life in their neighboring country, Moldova. When they arrived, Vitalina was hopeful that the war would be short-lived. Unfortunately, the situation turned out to be much different than they expected. As the war back home intensified, Vitalina knew that her family needed to integrate into the community in Moldova and start a new life for themselves.

Vitalina’s children began attending a school in Balti while also attending online classes through a Ukrainian school. Education became a real challenge for Vitalina’s children due to differences in the program structure and language. Vitalina’s oldest son had also started 4th grade and needed to pass exams in Mathematics, Russian and Romanian so that he wouldn’t fall behind. While these challenges could have been eased through tutoring, paying for tutoring was nearly impossible for Vitalina. She didn’t speak Romanian, the primary language in Moldova, so she was struggling to find a job.

Thankfully, a silver lining appeared for Vitalina when one day she saw an online post about Romanian classes offered through a program sponsored by UMCOR in partnership with CWS. Excited and filled with renewed hope, Vitalina applied immediately. She said, “my happiness was overwhelming when I found out that my son could also attend with me.”

Soon, Vitalina and her oldest son began attending language classes. Both were excited and committed to learning the language. Vitalina shared that as her language skills improved, she was better capable of helping her son with his school work and preparing for his exams. When the course ended two months later, Vitalina and her son wanted to keep learning, so they requested to stay longer. The program gladly invited the pair to stay, and they will begin classes soon. ”We were heard and supported,” Vitalina stated.

In addition to language classes, Vitalina and her family received regular food and hygiene supplies from the project, which have helped them save money that they would otherwise need to spend on basic needs. Vitalina said, “I want to express my gratitude for this opportunity. It meant a lot to me.” By learning the local language, a door has been opened for Vitalina and her children to be able to participate in their new community.

Through our partnership with UMCOR, CWS aims to support 20,000 Ukrainian refugees like Vitalina through food, donations, psychosocial support, legal aid, medical help, and vocational and language training. To join us in achieving our mission, click here.

Stories of Change

Top: SAMU first response organizes quilts, Middle and Bottom: children with their new quilts

The Gift of Hope

When people seeking asylum are reduced to numbers and political pawns, we all lose. When we recognize that they are people who, just like you and me, want a safe life and a place to call home, we renew hope for humanity.

During the recent bussing of migrants and asylum seekers to Washington, D.C. by Texas Governor Abbot, CWS teamed up with our partners at SAMU First Response to protect the dignity of our new neighbors and be a source of hope.

SAMU First Response is an organization that responds to the immediate needs of newly arrived asylum seekers. Amy Hammond, from SAMU First Response, explained that her organization recognized a need to provide school supplies to children arriving at the border. She said, “we knew it would be incredibly impactful, but we didn’t have the resources to make it work. Suddenly, CWS was there offering us not only backpacks stuffed with school supplies, snacks and other essentials, but also comfort kits with toiletries and the most gorgeous handmade quilt to share with the children of the families we serve.”

From then on, CWS solidified our partnership with SAMU First Response and teamed up to support the asylum seekers who arrived in Washington D.C. Amy shared, “Through this partnership, we were able to create more than 100 kits for arriving migrants with snacks and toiletries to welcome them. These kits were passed out to those individuals who were only staying with us for a couple of hours and lacked the means to be able to clean themselves up and have something to eat before embarking on the next leg of their journey. These kits are empowering and allow us to restore a sense of dignity.”

Amy recounted that the response by the families was one of deep gratitude. She stated that the greatest blessing of the partnership was the opportunity to distribute quilts to the children and families. She said, “At a time in their lives when these gorgeous kids have experienced so much that they can likely barely understand, let alone process, comfort is so key. These blankets provided not only physical warmth but comfort in knowing that on the other side of these precious blankets were hands who cared enough to see them. I will never forget the first group of kids we gave them to. They immediately put them around their shoulders and “flew” around the room like tiny little superheroes. To me, it looked a lot like hope… and that is the true gift this partnership bestowed on each person that received a piece of what CWS shared with our organization.”

When the political environment became cold towards our newest neighbors, CWS, our denominational partners and SAMU First Response were there to provide warmth through blankets, kits and the reminder that there is good in this world. With our partners, we are committed to always being a source of light, hope, and kindness for all who join us in this country we call home.

Stories of Change

Top: StARS ambassadors, Bottom: StARS ambassadors led seed planting activity

StARS Ambassadors are Thriving Together

Refugees around the world have immense potential and many skills to offer their communities. Our local partner in Egypt, St. Andrew’s Refugee Services, known as StARS*, recognizes this and is constantly developing new ways to lift up the members of their community. Through the StARS Ambassadors program, StARS staff members, who are also refugees, are growing together, becoming strong leaders, and lifting up the important work they are a part of.

Ambassadors in the program were selected from StARS’ five core programs and were chosen according to their skills and potential. The Ambassadors program aims to help young refugees who are early in their careers develop professionally while representing StARS in meetings with funders, donors and partners. Mukhtar, one of the ambassadors, shared, “the program has provided me with strong communication skills, a talent for relationship building and a high level of professionalism.”

By working together, the ambassadors create a team environment where they can support and learn from one another. Nehal explained, “[Being an ambassador] has given me an opportunity to represent my department and StARS, and to interact, work and earn with a team of staff members from different departments in StARS.” Similarly, Mona, another ambassador, referred to the program as “a golden opportunity” and said she now has “strong relationships with the team members and other staff members.”

In addition to being leaders in StARS, the ambassadors are responsible for organizing events such as the bi-annual bazaar, the multi-faith Iftar (an evening meal used to break fast during Ramadan), and various debates and presentations. These activities allow ambassadors to practice event planning and organizing skills which they can then use when hosting visitors, donors and partners.

This past spring, the ambassadors led a seed-planting activity across the organization to raise awareness of climate change while collectively fighting against it. They also started a book club for all StARS staff to meet monthly, discuss their thoughts and continue to strengthen their community. Together, the StARS ambassadors are creating endless opportunities and continue to grow and thrive.

*StARS is a refugee- and women-led organization that connects refugees in Cairo to educational, legal, medical, psychosocial, housing and other services.

New Partnership Matches Trained Community Sponsorship Groups with Ukrainians in Need of Resettlement in the United States


November 2, 2022

For Immediate Release: November 2, 2022 Contact: media@cwsglobal.org New Partnership Matches Trained Community Sponsorship Groups with Ukrainians in Need of Resettlement in the United States New York City – CWS and Welcome.US today announced a new joint-initiative that will connect Ukrainians in need of safety with CWS-supported sponsorship groups in the United States via the Welcome Connect platform. Through the …

Equal Opportunities for Roma Ukrainian Refugees


October 31, 2022

At CWS, when we say “refugees welcome” and advocate for the right to seek a safe home, we are talking about all refugees. Throughout our programs, our focus has always been to ensure inclusivity and provide a helping hand to our most vulnerable neighbors. This holds true in our programs for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, where communities have generously opened …

Stories of Change

Top: Natalia handing out winter clothing, Middle: Natalia at distribution center, Bottom: Winter clothing ready to be handed out

A Safe Home and a Warm Hug

If you had just 20 minutes to pack a small bag and leave the rest behind, possibly for forever, what would you pack? For Natalia, who fled Ukraine earlier this year, the answer to this question was: documents, necessary items for her son, her son’s favorite toy, books and some snacks. The limited belongings Ukrainians like Natalia have fled with reveal how sudden, shocking and frightening it is to be forced out of one’s own country.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Natalia had to make the quick decision to flee or stay in her country. As explosions boomed near her home, and her 10-year-old son cried with fear, Natalia quickly knew what had to be done. She explained, “in that moment I realized that the most important thing was my son and that we had to leave. So we took the car and we left.”

Natalia kept a calm and strong composure as she and her son fled to nearby Moldova. As they approached the border and reality set in, however, Natalia allowed herself to shed a tear. Fortunately, in Moldova Natalia discovered a welcoming community that she describes as “a warm hug.” She shared, “when we drove into Moldova and people saw our license plate from Ukraine, they stopped and asked ‘do you need any help?’ ‘Do you need medicine?’ ‘Do you need psychological help?’, ’ Do you have a place to stay?’”.

After a few months in Moldova, Natalia’s tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy and gratitude. Thanks to the support of the community and local organizations, Natalia and her son have been able to create a peaceful life for themselves. Natalia shared, “in this city, my son and I feel safe. He is smiling, he’s singing, he’s drawing, he’s going to school online. I am also teaching school online to Ukrainian children.”

Filled with gratitude and a desire to give back, Natalia decided to become a volunteer at a CWS-supported distribution center in Balti, where she helps distribute food and clothing to refugees. Natalia explained that as we approach winter, distributing warm clothes is extra important to prevent people from getting sick. She elaborated that, “a lot of people are still coming here from Ukraine and they are very stressed and disoriented. We know what they are going through, we understand them and we want to help.” At the distribution center, Natalia also likes to talk to other refugees and share her own tips, knowledge and as she told us, “the same warmth I received here”. She stated, “the formula for helping is that you accept the help, and then you are able to help someone else. That’s what I’m doing.”

Despite the war, Natalia remains hopeful and dreams of the day she will be able to return to Ukraine. In a week, she will be reunited with her parents who will be coming to live with her and her son in Moldova. She told us her father is excited to see his grandson and said, “to be one family in one place will be the moment we finally feel totally safe.” Through our continued effort in Moldova, and volunteers like Natalia, we hope to help other refugees find the same safety and warmth that Natalia and her family have found.

As Ukrainians continue to arrive in Moldova, be the source of warmth and support they need by clicking here. 

Significant support for this project was provided by a grant from UMCOR.

On Anniversary of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, CWS Calls for Pathway to Permanent Status for Afghan Refugees


August 29, 2022

Washington, D.C.—This Tuesday, August 30th, CWS will mark the one year anniversary of the chaotic and rushed departure of the final U.S. military flight from Kabul, Afghanistan. Today, there are 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees around the world, tens of thousands of whom were relocated to the United States since the Taliban wrongfully took control of the country. Since last …