Poltava battalion of empathetic

Poltava's battalion of empathetic - is the most powerful in Poltava region and one of the largest volunteer organizations in Ukraine to help Ukrainian military in Donbass [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Donbass], in the supply of food, clothing, camouflage nets, motor vehicles, repairing equipment, treating and rehabilitating the military, and also working with their children.

History

The organization was founded in spring 2014 by the Archbishop of Poltava and Kremenchug Fyodor and his associates from Poltava - Natalia Ganchak, Natalia Svyatceva, Natalia Chelepa and Oleksandra Syrotenko.

According to volunteers of the organization, its active work began in May 2014, and visits to the east - in June. By the end of July, the army had managed to raise 300 thousand hryvnias. During the six months of existence more than one million hryvnias were raised, for the year (March 2015) - 3.5 million, for two years (by March 2016) - 4.6 million, for three years (March 2017) - about 6 million. In addition, the Battalion receives a lot of non-cash benefits from the charity (over 250 tons in the first year of operation, and over 350 tons of clothes during the first three years.)

In February 2015, the group registered as a non-governmental organization "The team of empathetic". In addition, they registered the charitable foundation "Poltava battalion of empathetic" for work in a social direction.

Activity

The organization has about 10 units specializing in various types of military assistance. In addition, they have children's center "Dzherelo". Also, with its participation was created the Center for Social-psychological adaptation for the military.

The activists of the organization regularly go to various zones of the ATO, providing various assistance to the military.

The Battalion does not provide weapons and its elements, but provides protection. According to the organization, for the first 2 years of their work, they purchased 9 vehicles, 9 thermal imagers, 192 night vision devices, 93 binoculars, 920 tactical glasses, 605 tactical lights, 385 radios, 10 generators, 35 gas nozzles, 105 bulletproof vests, 890 unloading systems, 414 sets of uniforms, 401 tank suits for tankers, 784 raincoats, 1218 sets of thermo-linen and much more. In the third year of assistance, the military provided of 1 quad-coctor, 13 night vision devices, 7 gas spindles and 8 binoculars.

Volunteers made for the first two years 13 471 m2 of masking nets, 278 masculine costumes, in particular "Kikimor", 400 sets of underwear, 300 pillows, 570 carpets for equipment, dry borscht for 13 thousand liters and many other foodstuffs. On August 14, 2016, activists reported about 16,310 square meters of masking nets, 353 masquerade costumes, 529 underwear and 425 synthetic pillows. After three years of work, the area of manufactured masking nets has reached almost 22,000 m2, and the number of masculine costumes is 448. Like other volunteer organizations, Poltava's Battalion of not indifferent send to the military and children's drawings.

The Children's Center "Dzherelo", created by the "Battalion", it arranges the day classes in the schools and the summer camps (especially for the children of killed soldiers). According to volunteers, in 2015, in a camp were more than 270 children, of which more than 100 children of the military.