Ukrainian Community from Hanover Donates Cars for Medical Needs
On the 2 nd anniversary of the all-out war in Ukraine and the 10th anniversary of the Maidan shootings, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish in Hanover, Germany, donated four vehicles to Ukraine: two ambulances and two evacuation vehicles. The vehicles were blessed on Bright Monday, May 6, in the courtyard of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
This was reported by the press service of the Patriarchal Foundation “Wise Cause”.
To facilitate fundraising for transportation, an ambulance destroyed by an explosion was brought to Hanover from Kharkiv. This gesture aimed to illustrate to the authorities the consequences of the brutality of Russian aggression. The delegation was accompanied by Maria Maksymtsiv, the priest’s wife, and Dirk Hahne, the chief physician of one of the hospitals in Hanover.
The ambulance and one evacuation vehicle will be sent to Mykolaiv, while the other two will be used for the needs of Caritas-Beryslav and Caritas-Kherson.
“This is not just an ambulance; it is also a means of transportation for people with disabilities who cannot move on their own. Unfortunately, Ukraine lacks suitable transportation and sufficient assistance for people with disabilities to travel from their homes to hospitals or for medical examinations. Therefore, we are delighted that we have been able to organize this campaign on a large scale,” said Maria Maksymtsiv.
The rite of blessing the cars after the Divine Liturgy on the second day of Easter was performed by Fr. Lubomyr Yavorsky, Patriarchal Economist of the UGCC.
“Today, we can see an exemplary initiative from a small parish — pardon me for saying so — from Hanover, led by Fr. Roman Maksymtsiv, his wife Maria, and the entire community of believers. Since the beginning of the war, their parish has been steadfast in supporting Ukrainians. On this solemn second anniversary, they organized a collection and delivered four vehicles — ambulances and evacuation vehicles — which are urgently needed by our parishes and Caritas centers in Beryslav, Kherson, and Mykolaiv. This will enable us to better reach out to the poor and needy people affected by the war. So, a heartfelt thank you to all our benefactors and donors who are contributing to Ukraine’s strength and resilience.”
The total value of the assistance provided reached 45 thousand euros.
The UGCC Department for Information