We help internally displaced Ukrainian refugees aged 60 and over who have no family or have been separated from family by the war.

The people we help are refugees from active warzones and Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. They are of retirement or near-retirement age and don’t have enough resources to secure housing. They are otherwise self-sufficient, able to feed themselves, and generally go about their daily lives independently. They are also able to pay their share of the utility bills in the units we secure for them

The pensions retirees receive from the government aren’t big enough to pay for rent in western Ukrainian towns, which are overflowing with refugees, and where rents have gone up in response to high demand. The additional support they receive from NGOs also isn’t enough.

Those who are close to but not of retirement age don’t get pensions but cannot find work in the towns they have fled to. It’s difficult for an older person to compete in the extremely tight job market. Many of the refugees also suffer from war-imposed psychological trauma, which makes it even harder to seek employment.

The idea behind the program was born when we were volunteering for other humanitarian projects in Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk and visited refugee shelters there. It became clear that housing for the elderly was a clear need and learned from local authorities that there were on the order of 100,000 refugees between the two regions. We decided to leverage our already established network of connections in Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk to quickly start the program there. Once we see that our model is working as intended, we will expand to other regions.

The situation today is too volatile to project what will happen 12 months from now. Our hope, of course, is that the war ends by then and Ukraine can focus on rebuilding and improving the lives of its people. We also hope that by that time the government will have built systems that can adequately support its displaced citizens in need of help. Regardless of the things we wish for, however, we will remain focused on securing dedicated sponsors for individual refugees and fundraising to scale and prolong our effort.

Besides agreeing to be respectful of the people they share living space with, they must pay for their portion of the utility bill and perform their fair share of household duties. If they wish to leave, they must notify one of our coordinators at least 14 days in advance.

We are looking for volunteers who can help us fundraise (we can help you get set up). We are also looking for volunteers in western Ukraine who can help us find and secure housing units, identify refugees who fit our profile, help coordinate move-in, and manage the units (check in with the tenants regularly to ensure everything is going well). If you have a knack for digital marketing, we can use your help spreading the word! There are many other ways to help. Write to us at underakindroof@gmail.com to find yours.

You can become a long-term sponsor for an individual refugee or for a unit housing 2-4 refugees. The monthly commitment for sponsoring an individual is from $125 to $200. The commitment for a unit is between $400 and $500 per month for a six-to-12-month term. We encourage donors to get a group of friends or colleagues together for unit sponsorship. Write to us at underakindroof@gmail.com if any of these options appeal to you.

To date, the effort has been sponsored by individual donors. However, we are actively looking for partnerships with like-minded foundations and NGOs.