In 3 years, UMC shelters welcome thousands of displaced Ukrainians

“It was a chaotic time. Nobody knew what was happening! The war started, people were dying, and our main purpose was our family’s safety,” recounts Pavlo Osypenko of Life Spring UMC in Kyiv.

Pavlo and his friends—Slava Zinchuk, Evgen Boshov, Serge Shvets, and Maksym Pryhodko—moved their young families to the Slovakian border on the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Feb. 24, 2022. A Baptist church in Ternopil provided shelter, food and a place to sleep on their first night. Thankfully, along the journey, they encountered numerous acts of kindness.

Once the five men neared the Slovakian border and ensured their families’ safety in Slovakia, they were welcomed in Kam’yanytsya, Ukraine, by pastors Vasily and Alla Vuksta through the United Methodist connection. With their life savings in backpacks, the displaced men decided to establish a shelter for others. They began by visiting a local administrator in Onokivtsi, where they were given keys to a school. By the night of Mar. 6, they were sheltering 12 displaced people, which increased to 120 by the fifth night.

The community generously provided pillows, mattresses, blankets and food. Support poured in from United Methodists and other Christian friends worldwide, enabling the purchase of beds, sleeping bags, washing machines and more food. About 600 people passed through that school before it had to resume classes.

In May, they rented a former printing house on the edge of Uzhgorod, transforming it into a shelter with space for 60 guests, later expanding to accommodate at least 100. The total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltered has reached over 1,500. Some stayed for a night, some for more than 3 years.

District Superintendent the Rev. Oleg Starodubets and his wife, the Rev. Yulia Starodubets, of the Ukraine Annual Conference, regularly visited the shelter and provided significant help, both spiritually and physically. They also partnered with UMCOR to provide a van to transport people and supplies and began regularly supporting the shelter financially. Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic-Baltic Episcopal Area and UMCOR staff members, Katie Hills and the Rev. Jack Amick, also visited the shelter, sparking discussions on establishing a permanent property for the UMC’s mission and ministry.

UMCOR confirmed a significant grant to build or purchase property and, through local connections, negotiated the procurement of the “Under the Castle” (UTC) hotel, restaurant and event venue near Kam’yanytsya. The purchase was finalized in March 2024. While the UMC still uses the former printing house, the new UTC shelter hosts 40 IDPs and provides space for United Methodist conferences, training and community outreach. The long-term vision for UTC is to transform it into a rehabilitation center for war-related trauma.

Under the Castle recently reopened its first-floor restaurant and began renting out its large hall for private events as ways to support the shelter’s residents on the second floor. Today, the residents are mostly women, children and the elderly, with many having stayed for years because of the war’s ongoing devastation.

Pavlo, now residing in the Netherlands with his family, reflects on his experience: “I want this story to be told, it was the most important part of my life – for God’s glory and power. I witnessed many amazing testimonies during this two and a half years.” See a video Pavlo created sharing the story here. Watch an interview of Pavlo Osypenko here.

The Rev. Dr. Fred Vanderwerf is a United Methodist pastor in the Minnesota Annual Conference and serves as the partnership coordinator for In Mission Together – Ukraine for Global Ministries.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief International Disaster Response program (UMCOR IDR) serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike outside the United States. Response includes food, water, hygiene and other essential nonfood supplies and shelter support for displaced people fleeing disasters.