In Chicago, Illinois, United States, churches of different denominations and cultural communities worked together to support Ukrainian refugees and raise funds to purchase prosthetics for war victims.

Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, about 60,000 Ukrainians have been moved to the Chicago area. Every Saturday, new refugees arrive at local churches, seeking spiritual solace and an opportunity to preserve their language and cultural identity. Seeing the needs of the newcomers, congregations decided to act in practical ways by providing food, shelter, and care.

Under the roof of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Seventh-day Adventists, Presbyterians, and Korean- and Spanish-speaking churches united to meet refugees' needs. Together, they began a joint fundraising project for the Protez Foundation, which provides prosthetics to Ukrainians who have lost limbs during the war.

One of the beneficiaries is Viktoria, a girl from Kherson, Ukraine, who lost her arm and was seriously injured in her other arm during a ballistic shelling attack. The cost of one prosthesis ranges from US$20,000 to US$150,000. So far, the foundation has provided prosthetics to 750 people. More than 3,000 people are requesting help from the foundation.

To raise funds, churches organized a charity event with children's games and treats. The organizers emphasized that, in a usually fragmented city, such cooperation has become an example of how a common goal of helping one's neighbor united people despite religious or cultural differences.

The original article was published on the Ukrainian Union Conference Ukrainian news site.