A UKRAINIAN woman has captured the hearts of villagers in Ardleigh… who have helped her to raise thousands of pounds for her home country.
Iryna Omelchenko and Gina Gardiner organised a fundraising event at Ardleigh Village Hall raising £3,000.
Iryna, who is from Dnipro, Ukraine, was first welcomed to Ardleigh by Gina, who offered a safe home as part of the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, in May last year.
Speaking of their first meeting, Gina said: “Iryna spoke six words of English and I spoke no Ukrainian.
“There have been some challenges but with the help of laughter, hugs and the vital ingredients of good coffee and dark chocolate we have made it through the bumps.”
The proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to MOM Plus ME, a Ukrainian charity where Iryna volunteered for several years.
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The organisation provides practical support to many vulnerable groups, such as orphaned children, and mothers escaping domestic violence. Their work has continued tirelessly despite the challenging circumstances in Ukraine.
The event, which included a raffle, cake sale and bric-a-brac stalls, was a great success with attendees “remarking on how much they enjoyed the event and its really special atmosphere”.
Gina added: “It had such a great feeling of coming together and community.”
Despite already raising a significant amount of money, the event organisers insist that they “are not yet finished” and aim to meet their fundraising target of £5000 by March 26.
A further raffle is yet to take place, with prizes on offer including afternoon tea and luxury hotel vouchers.
Tickets for the raffle go on sale at Ardleigh Village Hall between 3pm and 6:30pm today.
A spokesperson for the charity thanked Iryna and Gina for “supporting the foundation and Ukrainian children”.
The pair said: “Every contribution will provide practical help to children and women who desperately need your support and will let them know that others care about them and their plight.”
Donations can be made at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/momplusme.
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