A Summer of Healing: How Camps Are Restoring Peace to Ukrainian Children

July 24, 2026

What struck me most was how astonished the children were by the silence. For them, it was unusual to wake up without air raid sirens, hear birds singing, and feel safe each day," recalls Fr. Roman Oliinyk, Manager of the Healing of Wounds of the War in Ukraine Fund of the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia in the United States.

These words perhaps best capture the true purpose of summer rehabilitation camps for Ukrainian children. For most of them, these camps are far more than just a few days of vacation. They are an opportunity, even if only for a short time, to leave behind air raid sirens, explosions and the constant threat of danger that has become part of their daily lives.

For the second consecutive year, the Healing of Wounds of the War in Ukraine Fund of the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia in the United States (hereafter, the Fund) has been running its Helping Ukrainian Children. This Summer campaign, supporting rehabilitation camps for children affected by the war. This summer alone, the Fund has already supported nine camps serving more than 400 children and plans to help organize at least two more. Since the beginning of the year, donors have contributed more than $160,000 to this initiative.

In June, Fr. Roman visited one of these camps in the village of Zamlynnia, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. The camp was organized by the nonprofit organization Pyaternia, led by Tetiana Malkovska, at the Zamlynnia Integration Center.

More than 50 children from across Ukraine attended the camp. Most came from the country's eastern regions, including the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kamianske, and Kryvyi Rih. They were joined by children from Lviv, Lutsk, Ternopil and Kyiv. For many of them, the past several years have been marked by constant air raid sirens, the ever-present threat of danger and long periods of remote schooling. Arriving in Zamlynnia, they found themselves, perhaps for the first time in a long while, in a place where they could simply be children again.

"The organizers created a space where the children could rest, pray, play, create and simply enjoy one another's company," Fr. Roman explains.

The camp program was carefully designed not only to provide rest but also to help the children gradually recover from their traumatic experiences. They participated in art therapy activities, painting traditional Ukrainian ornaments, painting icons on glass, learning pottery and making wool toys. Each day included prayer in the chapel, conversations with priests, games and time spent together. The children also visited the Lesya Ukrainka Museum and enjoyed a trip to Lake Svityaz.

Every part of the program served a purpose: helping the children regain a sense of inner peace, learn to express their emotions and open themselves to others. Alongside the creative workshops, prayer, spiritual support and simple human companionship became essential parts of their healing journey.

One of the camp's most moving moments was a visit from Andrii Solonin, a veteran of Russia's war against Ukraine. While protecting his fellow soldiers, he suffered severe injuries and lost both of his legs. Despite everything he had endured, he came to meet the children and share his story of courage, responsibility, and self-sacrifice.

His testimony became a living witness to Christ's words, "No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). For many of the children, meeting him became an opportunity to see that even after tremendous loss, a person can still become a source of hope for others.

What touched Fr. Roman most deeply, however, were his personal conversations with the children. "When I spoke with the children, especially the teenagers, they shared stories about living in large cities under constant Russian attacks. Every one of them bears the wounds of war. You have to speak with them with great sensitivity. Some talked about parents currently serving on the front lines, while others spoke about relatives who had been wounded. They asked difficult questions: 'Where is God in this war? Is He with us?'"

While these questions have no easy answers, the presence of people willing to listen, offer support, pray with them, and simply remain at their side becomes an important step on the path toward healing.

One particularly moving encounter for Fr. Roman was with the mother of a young girl undergoing chemotherapy, "Just before I left, the girl's mother came to me and said, 'Please pass along our gratitude to the donors in the United States. My daughter is undergoing chemotherapy, but here, surrounded by other children, through creative activities and shared games, she felt supported and was able, if only for a little while, to forget that she was sick.'" Her words serve as another reminder that true healing often begins with simple acts of kindness, compassion and the reassurance that no one has to face suffering alone.

Stories like these best explain why rehabilitation camps have become such an important part of the Fund's ministry. These camps are about much more than providing children with a vacation. They help young people living with the daily consequences of war rebuild trust in others, make new friends, experience God's love, and, if only for a few days, reclaim their childhood.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the humanitarian initiatives of the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia in the United States have provided more than $11.3 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, supporting 257 humanitarian projects. This assistance has included civilian evacuations, assistance to internally displaced persons, hospitals, military and hospital chaplains, psychological and spiritual rehabilitation and summer camps for children affected by the war.

In closing, Fr. Roman expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who continues to support this mission.

"We are sincerely grateful to all of our donors — teachers, homemakers, young professionals, attorneys, and everyone who continues to help Ukraine. It costs approximately $30 to $40 per day for one child to attend camp. Because of their generosity, we are able to give these children at least a few days of peace, care, and joy. We ask everyone to remain in solidarity with Ukraine and to continue praying for the Ukrainian people."

For most people, the sound of birds singing is simply part of a summer morning. But for Ukrainian children who live each day under the threat of war, it has become a symbol of a peace they had almost forgotten.

That is why every day spent at one of these camps is far more than a summer vacation. It is another step toward healing wounded hearts and a reminder that, even in humanity's darkest moments, faith, love, and human solidarity have the power to bring hope.

^{By Oksana Loziak}

Those who wish to help provide Ukrainian children affected by the war with the opportunity to attend a rehabilitation camp are invited to support the Helping Ukrainian Children This Summer campaign.

Donations can be made using the LINK.