German donor raises €9,000 for a Ukrainian family on his 90th birthday: first home already purchased

German donor raises €9,000 for a Ukrainian family on his 90th birthday: first home already purchased

The charitable foundation Zhytlo dlia VPO (Housing for IDPs) has announced its first successful case — the purchase of a home for an internally displaced family. Yesterday, an agreement was finalized for the acquisition of a private house for the Shevchenko family, who are relocating to a village in the Odesa region.

The funds for the purchase — €9,000 — were provided by the German private foundation Angela und Heins Stiftung. An additional €400 to cover expenses related to the purchase and paperwork was contributed by the Ukrainian foundation. The total amount of assistance reached €9,400.

The initiative began in spring when Angela und Heins Stiftung contacted the Ukrainian foundation and shared a fundraising story: their friend Wilhelm Holzapfel, for his 90th birthday, asked for donations instead of gifts — to help a Ukrainian family. As a result, €9,000 was raised.

The Zhytlo dlia VPO foundation helped find a family to receive the home. The choice fell on the Shevchenko family. Natalia Shevchenko is a school activity coordinator and a single mother raising two underage children. Before the full-scale war, the family lived in the village of Okhrimivka, Melitopol (Yakymivka) district, Zaporizhzhia region. Their home is currently under occupation.

In her letter to the foundation, Natalia explained that the family is temporarily renting an apartment in Truskavets, and they were considering southern regions of Ukraine — including Mykolaiv, Odesa, or Kherson — for permanent relocation. The final decision was a house in the Odesa region, which Natalia chose together with her daughters.

The foundation hopes that the new home will help the family feel safe again and regain their lost sense of home. They also noted that another family is currently in the process of choosing a house.