From December 1, changes to the rules for the import and accounting of humanitarian aid come into force in Ukraine. The state is digitizing this process and wants to prevent abuse. Some public organizations opposed it. Volunteers listed a number of threats in a petition on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers. We talk about current challenges for volunteers — new rules for the import of "humanitarian aid", the consequences of strikes on the Ukrainian-Polish border, urgent and constant needs in wartime — in the podcast "Heroes of Kharkiv" with Halyna Kharlamova, head of the Kharkiv NGO "Center for Humanitarian Aid "Volunteer-68".

On October 2, representatives of our lyceum together with the NGO Volunteer 68 conducted an on-site practical training on first aid for students of grades 10-11 of the Semyradsky Pechenizky Lyceum of the Pechenizky District Council of the Kharkiv Region. First aid skills are a critical necessity for everyone, especially in times of war. Today, it can save lives without exaggeration. During the training, the students learned and practiced how to stop bleeding using tamponade and tourniquets, how to act in case of body burns, hypothermia, cardiac arrest, etc. Under martial law, you should be prepared for anything. Simple things save lives, and a clear understanding of the algorithm of actions will help you pull yourself together in an emergency and provide first aid to yourself or a victim. The students really enjoyed the training, they were active throughout and now have practical knowledge We thank the coaches of our lyceum and the NGO Volunteer 68 for conducting a practical training for students of the Pechenizkyi Lyceum named after H. Semyradskyi of the Pechenizkyi District Council of the Kharkiv Region.

A year ago, thanks to a lightning-fast operation, Ukrainian troops liberated most of the Kharkiv region from the Moscow invaders. In some places, they pushed the enemy across the state border, and in others, they chased them as long as they had the strength. On September 10, they cleared Izyum and Kupiansk, and on September 12, they cleared Vovchansk. However, the Russians still managed to hold on to the northeast of the region, and from there they have been nightmarizing the liberated territories with constant shelling for almost a year. They still hope to regain what they have lost. Finally, the Kharkiv region is also being shelled from the Russian border areas. The border line here has long since turned into a front line.

On September 15, specialists of the Volunteer-68 NGO held a workshop on “First Aid” for students in grades 9-11 and on September 18 for students in grades 8. The seminar covered the tasks, stages and principles of first aid.

The first evacuees were settled in a shelter for people with limited mobility in Kharkiv by volunteers. These are residents of frontline villages in the Kupiansk district. The shelter was opened on July 26, 2023, says Yevhen Kharlamov, a volunteer with the NGO "Volunteer - 68". Yevhen Kharlamov. “You can live in it for up to three weeks.

In Kharkiv, one of the office premises was converted into a shelter for people with limited mobility and disabilities. It cost international donors more than a million hryvnias to equip it. The shelter has 34 beds and will operate 24/7. It has all the parameters of accessibility. The first evacuees will be admitted on July 27.

On July 26, 2023, the Vostok SOS Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the Volunteer-68 Humanitarian Aid Center, opened the first transit shelter for people with limited mobility and people with disabilities in Kharkiv. To equip the premises, procurement of over UAH 1,000,000 was made. The activity is being implemented within the framework of the project “Warming centers and evacuation: providing assistance to the affected population of Ukraine” with the support of the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.

Representatives of the Department of Social Protection of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration took part in a roundtable organized by the NGO Humanitarian Aid Center “Volunteer - 68” to discuss issues related to the long-term accommodation of people with limited mobility who were evacuated from the dangerous areas of the region and the provision of social and psychological assistance to them. The event was attended by more than 30 people from public, charitable, volunteer and other organizations.

One of Kharkiv's dormitories is preparing a room to temporarily accommodate people with limited mobility from Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The first floor of the dormitory was given to the shelter as it is suitable for accessibility. The first evacuees will be accepted here on July 27. People will be brought to Kharkiv from the de-occupied territories and the front line, said Galyna Kharlamova, head of the NGO "Volunteer - 68". Galyna Kharlamova, head of the Volunteer 68 public organization.

The Volunteer 68 Humanitarian Aid Center provides targeted aid packages with the support of reliable partners. The assistance is provided in the form of: food packages household chemicals; baby and adult diapers; baby food personal hygiene products; pet food. Assistance is provided to those who have the hardest time: elderly people persons with disabilities of groups 1, 2 large families Women with children under 10 years of age

In the Kharkiv region, patronage for people with limited mobility, people with disabilities, and people affected by shelling or military aggression is provided by the NGO "Volunteer - 68" Humanitarian Aid Center as part of the "Capable and Strong" project implemented by the East Europe Foundation with the support of Switzerland.

This week has been tense for the whole of Ukraine, the enemy has changed its terror tactics and for almost a whole week, starting at four in the morning, has been bombing our country and civilians in cities and in their homes. Thanks to the air defense troops, most of the threats have been destroyed, but I can see from the people I meet that they are tired from lack of sleep and the uncertainty they fight every day.