For Immediate Release
Los Angeles
Kidsave Launches National Campaign to Mark the One-Year Anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War
LOS ANGELES – Kidsave, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to finding families for older kids in care, has announced the launch of the Flat Sasha Project, a campaign supporting Ukrainian children without families. Ahead of the one-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the grassroots campaign brings attention to the critical needs of children in Ukraine by sharing a customizable template of a Ukrainian child – Flat Sasha – publicly and online as a symbol of support.
“The relentless violence of war and winter has made an indelible mark on all Ukrainians, particularly children without families, who were left to navigate grim conditions and unstable environments alone,” said Kidsave Co-Founder and CEO Randi Thompson. “Uncertainty for these most vulnerable members of society remains. It is critical we prioritize children without families to support them as we help Ukraine rebuild and restore.”
Flat Sasha is representative of a 12-year-old child who was displaced from their orphanage in Mykolaiv due to the war and brought to safety by Kidsave. The organization is committed to helping children like Sasha reunite with family members or find a new Ukrainian family after the war. To continue its work, Kidsave is inviting the community to donate and show support by printing out a Flat Sasha to decorate, cut out, and display in cars, schools, offices, and homes or share on social media with #FlatSasha. These templates feature a QR code that links to information about the campaign and ways to donate to Kidsave’s efforts in Ukraine.
Anchored in the fundamentals of Kidsave’s mission, the Flat Sasha campaign helps continue Kidsave’s work in Ukraine. Donations received will provide food, medicine, shelter, fuel, and counseling services to these children, as well as aid the construction of the Kidsave Miracles Center, a safe space where kids of all ages can develop essential life skills and find mentorship, therapy and other psycho-emotional support services while living in conflict.
Since 2016, Kidsave has prioritized children of all ages in institutionalized care in Ukraine. Kidsave’s Corporate Mentoring and Family Mentoring Programs help them reunite with family, find adoptive Ukrainian families, or successfully transition into independent living. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kidsave’s Ukrainian team, Angels of Hope, moved into action to help citizens in war-torn cities and get them to safety. In the past year, Kidsave has delivered over 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid in Ukraine and evacuated more than 30,000 people to safety.
To kick off the campaign and commemorate the one-year mark, Kidsave, in partnership with the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council hosted a Flat Sasha launch event on Feb. 8 at the Ukraine House in Washington, D.C. with notable attendees, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova and our partner of seven years Boeing.
To donate and learn more about the Flat Sasha campaign, visit www.kidsave.org/ukraine-flat-sasha.
About Kidsave
Kidsave, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, helps older children and teens living in U.S. residential facilities, foster homes, group homes, and orphanages overseas find forever families and lasting connections. A volunteer-driven effort, Kidsave works with governments and communities worldwide to see that no orphan or child in foster care is forgotten and grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future.
Media Contacts:
Chloe Fuller, chloe@kidsave.org
Kasey Henderson, kasey@globalsitroom.com
