5000 Packages for Ukraine

Project Report – 5000 Packages for UkraineFour Years of War — and the Need Is Still Growing

February 2026 marks four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What many feared would be a short conflict has become a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Winter temperatures, repeated attacks on critical infrastructure, and continued displacement leave millions of civilians struggling to meet their most basic needs.

The “5000 Packages for Ukraine” project was created to respond to this reality. Our goal is simple but essential: provide reliable food assistance to families whose lives have been disrupted by war — both inside Ukraine and among refugees in Poland.

Behind every statistic is a person. The stories below show why this support remains urgently needed.

The People Behind the NumbersLarysa, 82 — displaced from the Bakhmut area

Larysa says she has now lived through two wars. As a child she survived World War II. In 2022 she was forced to flee her home near Bakhmut.

For nearly 50 years she worked as a music teacher, raising generations of students. Today she lives in a small rented apartment with her disabled daughter-in-law and two school-aged grandchildren. Her small pension is mostly spent on medicine.

During air raid alerts she cannot always reach shelters due to severe leg pain and high blood pressure. She remembers standing in long lines at railway stations just to receive a bowl of soup and bread.

“I never imagined that at my age I would have to ask for help just to eat,” she wrote to us.

Food packages allow her family to survive and ensure her grandchildren do not go hungry. She now sings in a church choir and finds strength in the kindness of volunteers.

“I believe Ukraine will endure and peace will come soon.”

Mykola, 64 — caring for his granddaughter alone

During one of the bombardments in his hometown, Mykola lost almost his entire family. His son, daughter-in-law, and relatives were killed. Only he and his 11-year-old granddaughter survived.

They fled without belongings or a plan.

The girl lost both parents overnight. Mykola lost his child and suddenly had to become everything for his granddaughter — grandfather, father, and protector.

For him, a food package is not a gift. It is several days without fear that there will be no bread. It allows him to spend his limited income on medicine and clothing for a growing child.

Humanitarian aid gives him something equally important: the ability to provide safety and a small sense of normal childhood for his granddaughter despite the war.

Olena — a widowed mother of two

Olena’s husband was killed on the front line defending Ukraine. As she tried to help her children understand that their father would never come home, their house was shelled. They also lost extended family members.

In one moment, not only their home but their entire support system disappeared.

Today she is both mother and father to her children. They still ask about their father. Her daily goal is simple — keep them safe and fed.

Food assistance means her children do not go to sleep hungry and allows her a moment to focus on rebuilding their lives instead of constantly worrying about the next meal.

What We Have Done

Since February 2022, the Krakow Food Bank has supported war-affected communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Within the “5000 Packages for Ukraine” initiative (launched July 2024), we have delivered:

237,943 kg of food assistance valued at $809,152.4

Current reporting period (November 2025 – February 2026)

• Poland: 28,809.816 kg | $109,547.2

• Ukraine: 16,065.636 kg | $57,320

• Total: 44,875.4525 kg | $166,867.2

Food reached communities in:
Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenets, Lyman, Poltava, Kyiv, frontline areas, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Rivne, Donetsk region, Kramatorsk, Ternopil, Zbarazh, Novohryhorivka, Krasnokutsk, Bohatyrivka, Sloviansk, and Izium.

In October we also prepared 10 tons of food, including 750 parcels packed by employee volunteers from International Paper and Discover International, which were delivered directly to families in Ukraine.

Refugees in Poland

Support inside Ukraine is only part of the story.

Kraków alone still hosts over 50,000 Ukrainian refugees. Many continue to face unstable housing, rising living costs, and barriers to employment and healthcare. For elderly people, single parents, and people with disabilities, regular food assistance often determines whether they can pay rent or buy medicine.

Our partner organizations helping deliver assistance include:

• HOPE HARMONY FOUNDATION

• Misja Sowianska w Europie

• Church of Jesus Christ Pentecostal Congregation (Kraków)

• Fundacja Team Kraków

• Salezjanski Ruch Troski o Modziez SALTROM

• Church of God “Grace of Christ” (Kraków)

Why This Matters

Humanitarian aid does more than provide calories.

It provides:

• stability in unstable conditions

• protection of health and hygiene

• psychological relief

• dignity for families who lost everything

• hope that they have not been forgotten

For many displaced people — especially elderly individuals — the choice is often between buying food, medicine, or paying rent. Food assistance prevents that choice from becoming life-threatening.

Gratitude to Our Donors

This project exists because of you.

Your support means a grandmother can feed her grandchildren, a grandfather can care for an orphaned child, and a widowed mother can keep her family together.

Every package delivered sends a powerful message: people far away still care.

Looking Ahead

We continue working toward our goal of delivering 5,000 food packages. The war has entered its fourth year, and humanitarian needs remain high. Energy shortages, winter conditions, and ongoing attacks continue to put civilians at risk.

With your continued partnership, we can respond faster, reach more families, and remain present for those who have lost almost everything.

Thank you for standing with us — and with the people of Ukraine.
Together, we are feeding hope.