Help Vitaliy and Nina Omelchenko Find a permanent home at "Our People" Senior Center

Vitaliy (81) and his wife Nina (79) once built their lives in Donetsk. Vitaliy worked in the mines until 1994, when he retired, and Nina dedicated her career to managing public dining services at the Topaz plant. By 2002, she too retired, and together they looked forward to a peaceful old age. Their home, just seven kilometers from Avdiivka, was modest but filled with the memories of decades together.

In 2014, when the first wave of conflict swept through their region, they were forced to leave. They moved to Krasnyi Lyman and bought a small house in Novoselivka. For eight years, they lived there quietly, hoping that perhaps the worst was behind them. But in March 2022, the sound of war returned — shelling from Kharkiv region grew louder and closer with every passing day. Realizing the danger, they made the painful decision to leave once more.

Evacuated to Truskavets, they tried to rent an apartment, but the costs quickly overwhelmed their modest pension. By July 12, 2023, they moved into a shelter, where they still live today. Their house in Novoselivka has since been destroyed, and they are left with nothing to return to. Their son, Oleksandr, suffered a mining accident in 2017 and now lives with a disability; he too rents a small place in Truskavets, struggling alongside his parents. The family’s story is one of repeated displacement, enduring loss, and quiet resilience in the face of hardship.