Lighting Up The Holidays

2022 Impact Report Edition
Sunlight Ukraine | December, 2022 | Lviv, Ukraine

Sometimes, in the midst of a difficult period, celebrating traditions can bring a sense of comfort and normalcy to a reality that is far from ordinary. In December 2022, three friends set out to do just that. Founding Sunlight Ukraine, the friends sought to support Ukrainian families during the holiday season.

Sunlight Ukraine is a project comprised of three old friends from Yale who were all involved in the Russian choir, including Alex Kuzma, a Ukrainian American who is very tied to the Ukrainian political scene. They started Sunlight Ukraine in December 2022 with the main goal of getting solar lights to Ukrainian Catholic University students by the holiday season. Because of the time crunch, Paul Andrews picked up the first order of 874 lights from our warehouse and drove them directly to NJ to make their shipment to Ukraine.

In total, over 2,500 Luci Pro series were delivered to a Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine. The goal was to provide to the Jewish community during Chanukkah.

“Any donation will help bring families the life-changing gifts of light and human connection,” said Paul Andrews, co-chair of SunLight Ukraine. “With this light, children can read and do

homework, families can see each other around a dinner table, parents can read to their children at bedtime, and even provide them a night light as they sleep.” Based in Alameda, California, SunLight Ukraine is a volunteer-staffed project of the Charter for Compassion, a nonprofit organization.

“We’re determined to provide all the help we can,” said John Andrews, co-chair of the project. “And what better time than right now, when our holidays are reminding us once again about the power of light to overcome the dark?”

Give a Luci to support organizations like Sunlight Ukraine.