Summer of Hope: Nonprofit using summer camps to reach young Ukrainian refugees

More than 5,000 miles away from Columbus at the frontline towns of the Kherson region in Ukraine, a nonprofit organization has been working to create spaces of hope and rehabilitation to reclaim childhood bliss through summer camp programs for children of the Russia-Ukraine war.

In August, the Summer of Hope initiative created by Hope for Ukraine, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and fostering hope for Ukrainian communities, is coming to Columbus with the help of Grace Evangelical Church in Galloway, where the ministry offers resources and relief support for a local network of approximately 1,500 Ukrainian refugees.

Paying it forward:From mental health crises to college apps, nonprofit helps Somali youth in central Ohio

Alex Yakhnitskiy, Grace Evangelical's associate pastor and camp director, said he anticipates around 300 kids from third to 10th grade to come together at Camp Luz in Orrville on Aug. 5-9 and 12-16.

Beyond Columbus, these summer camps occur all across the world, including many cities in the U.S., Ukraine and Italy.

While visible outcomes of the war are plain to see, psychological effects on children, many of whom have lost or separated from family members such as fathers and brothers serving in the military, are expected to impact them for the rest of their lives, Yakhnitskiy said.

"(Parents) come here seeing that it's us against the world," Yakhnitskiy said. "And just to see their kids come with enjoyment on their faces — they have painted T-shirts and crafts they made for their moms or their younger siblings — that's one of the big testimonies. Moms will say, ‘I see this is the child that I had before the war.'"

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, said he hopes the summer camp will help foster the community's confidence in their ability to lead beautiful lives, regardless of where they end up.

"The kids are a lot more resilient than the parents might think," Yakhnitskiy said. "They kind of see a glimpse of hope that hey, there is light at the end of the tunnel that in the end, life will continue."