3 million UAH raised for school bomb shelters under the program of Olena Zelenska Foundation in California

A charity event in support of Ukraine was held on Thanksgiving Day in San Francisco, California. As part of the event, the organizers, the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco, managed to collect 3 million UAH, which will be donated to Olena Zelenska Foundation to construct a bomb shelter in a school or kindergarten.

The event was held at the historic San Francisco War Memorial. The Memorial is known for being the site where the Charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945. The event was attended by government officials, politicians, diplomats, business leaders, representatives of universities and public organizations from California.

The event raised funds to set up a bomb shelter for a school or kindergarten.

"Only a third of children in Ukraine can attend kindergartens and schools on a regular basis, and it’s still dangerous. Bomb shelters were not designed for our schools. After all, no one could have thought that they would be needed in Europe in the twenty-first century. My Foundation helps to speed up the process of returning children to schools and kindergartens. Therefore, the Foundation joined the repair and arrangement of the shelters in September 2023. We are transforming old dark basements into comfortable shelters, which are accessible, spacious and zoned for maximum student comfort. By your presence, you demonstrate your concern not only for Ukraine, but for the safety of all children in the world. Because childhood has no borders," said the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, in her video address to the participants of the charity event.

One fully equipped shelter is an opportunity for almost a thousand children to return to studying despite the war. The cost of arranging a specific shelter depends on its area, location, the complexity of the improvements, and so on.

"We at the Olena Zelenska Foundation are pleased that our initiative to equip shelters is supported worldwide. One of our goals is to provide children with access to education despite the war. For children continuing their studies in frontline regions, we provide gadgets for online education. In the same regions where it is possible to study in person, we arrange bomb shelters. We thank the Californian and American community for their empathy and support," said Nina Horbachova, Director of Olena Zelenska Foundation.