Ukraine Appeal: Be the Hope, Be a Host

The Diocese of Llandaff is calling out for homeowners in South Wales to consider inviting people who are fleeing Ukraine and in need of safety, to live with them. Six matches and placements have already occurred through the diocese’s network but there are many more people who need a sanctuary from the chaos and horror of war in their country.

7.8 million Ukrainians have been displaced since February 2022 when the war started. However, this number is increasing. To meet this demand, USPUK and Citizens UK have collaborated to create the ‘Communities for Ukraine’ programme and are in touch with thousands of Ukrainians waiting in refugee centres in Warsaw and in Ukraine, who are currently facing an uncertain future.

Can you open your home to a Ukrainian fleeing war?

If so, please register your interest on the ‘Communities for Ukraine’ pages on the USPUK or Citizens UK websites. You may think you cannot offer a lot, but what you can offer is safety and hope.

Anna and her daughters, from Kyiv, were matched with a family in Tenby in the Diocese of St David’s. Anna said, “We are just a perfect match for them. Since the day we arrived, they have taken care of us as if we are part of the family. We have dinner together, go shopping and on excursions, spend a lot of time together. I also volunteer with them at the local centre for Ukrainians.

“I am very grateful to the entire USPUK organisation for our ‘new life’ in such a terrible time for us. It is impossible to express all the gratitude we feel for our new family and for all the British people who continue to support and help Ukrainians.”

Dominic Pascoe is an Army Reserve Major serving with the 3rd Battalion in the Royal Welsh, currently based in Cardiff. He at the War and Ethics Sixth Form Conference in Llandaff Cathedral, “It’s inside our fabric as human beings, whether you be Christian or any other religion, to care for people who are oppressed and try to make their lives better.

“We live in this global village. It is critical for Ukraine on just a practical level that those generations are saved because they are women and children. They are the next generations. They are the future of Ukraine. The future of our global village without those generations, where will we be? We have to think beyond today or tomorrow.”

Rev’d Dr Ryan Green spoke at the Llandaff Cathedral Sixth Form Conference on the Ethics of War in February. He said, “At the heart of Christian faith is the call to show God’s hospitality. But it’s not just about what we can give. In that encounter with someone who is from another place we can learn truth about ourselves about our world and learn how to be good neighbours to each other. That is so important in a world that’s painful and difficult. Giving doesn’t have to come out of our limited compassion and limited resources, but we can plug into God’s care and love for His world, which comes out of his eternity.”

We understand there are lots of reasons why you may not be able to host a family. We then humbly ask you to join us in this prayer:

Dear Lord,

We raise up to you all involved in the Ukraine conflict. May your guiding hand lead them to safety. Soften the hearts of all who seek to further this conflict. Through the grace of your Holy Spirit may their eyes be opened to the pain, suffering and harm war causes. Unite us through your spirit and help us to confess our faith through our actions to those in need, and our voice to those in power. In the name of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ.