Our Work
We are guided by empathy, collaboration, and innovation. We work closely with the ID's, contractors, material suppliers, local community leaders, and other non-profit organizations to develop, begin, and complete projects that meet the unique needs of the IDPs.
OUR WORK
We are guided by empathy, collaboration, and innovation. We work closely with the ID's, contractors, material suppliers, local community leaders, and other non-profit organizations to develop, begin, and complete projects that meet the unique needs of the IDPs.
The Need
Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced due to the destruction of their homes, communities and infrastructure, or the constant threat of bombardment. Although many countries have welcomed refugees from these areas, many of the affected people are still living inside Ukraine. These are called Internally Displaced People or IDPs.
Early in the war, collective centers were effective at housing IDPs, but their tight and shared living spaces are not conducive for long term living. Judging this, many families have chosen to live in borrowed houses that lack modern amenities but have room and privacy, and are in communities with social support and infrastructure.
Our work is to find IDP families living in houses in safe communities, typically owned by a local, and renovate to have dignified conditions and a basic suite of modern amenities.
Long-term
Housing
Basic Modern
Amenities
IDP Housing
UKRAINE RELIEF EFFORT HOUSING, DESIGN
As so many Ukrainians have been forced from their homes and their communities, we want to inspire hope for a better future and connection to a new community, starting with a comfortable home. URE Architecture's mission is to provide stability and dignity to IDPs in Ukraine, especially those permanently displaced to new communities, by improving housing they already live in, or renovating houses in communities with suitable social amenities.
As so many Ukrainians have been forced from their homes and
their communities, we want to inspire hope for a better future and
connection to a new community, starting with a comfortable home.
URE Architecture's mission is to provide stability and dignity to
IDPs in Ukraine, especially those permanently displaced to new
communities, by improving housing they already live in, or
renovating houses in communities with suitable social amenities.
As so many Ukrainians have been forced from their homes and
their communities, we want to inspire hope for a better future and
connection to a new community, starting with a comfortable home.
URE Architecture's mission is to provide stability and dignity to
IDPs in Ukraine, especially those permanently displaced to new
communities, by improving housing they already live in, or
renovating houses in communities with suitable social amenities.
Arcadia Ukrainian Relief Effort is a non-profit organization that is raising funds to provide much
Arcadia Ukrainian Relief Effort is a non-profit organization that is raising funds to provide much
Arcadia Ukrainian Relief Effort is a non-profit organization that is raising funds to provide much
Arcadia Ukrainian Relief Effort is a non-profit organization that is raising funds to provide much
Subreading
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HOW DONATION
MONEY
IS USED
Where your donations go
Local Contractors
We only hire local contractors and source materials locally. Funds that don't go directly to IDPs go to the community.
Funds allocated to supporting volunteers come from a separate donation pool than our housing projects. You choose what you what to support.
Support Volunteers
Transparency
We take pride in being transparent on where money is coming from and how that money is spent once its in our hands.
IDP Housing
Funds go directly to material, labor, and operation expenses of providing homes to IDPs.
WHERE YOUR DONATIONS GO
IDP Housing
Funds go directly to material, labor, and operation expenses of providing homes to IDPs.
Local Contractors
We only hire local contractors and source materials locally. Funds that don't go directly to IDPs go to the community.
Transparency
We take pride in being transparent on where money is coming from and how that money is spent once its in our hands.
Support Volunteers
Funds allocated to supporting volunteers come from a separate donation pool than our housing projects. You choose what you what to support.
Our Team
Michael Behm
Board of Directors, Designer
Brit Andrews
Architectural Designer
Ira Pasechnyk
Operations Manager
Karolina Koniec
Chair of the Board
Michael Behm
Board of Directors, Designer
Architectural Designer
Brit Andrews
Karolina Koniec
Chair of the board
Ira Pasechnyk
Operation Manager
Michael Behb
Board of Directors, Designer
Brit Andrews
Architectural Designer
Ira Pasechnyk
Operation Manager
Karolina Koniek
Chair of the Board
ARCADIA
UKRAINE RELIEF
EFFORT
Arcadia Ukrainian Relief Effort is a non-profit organization that is raising funds to provide much needed medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in Kopychyntsi, Ukraine. We believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their circumstances. That's why we are working tirelessly to provide the medical equipment and supplies that the town needs.
We know that we can't do this alone. That's why we need your help. Please donate today and help us to make a difference in the lives of the people of Kopychyntsi.
LAST CTA
We know that we can't do this alone. That's why we need your help. Please donate today and help us to make a difference in the lives of IDPs living in Ukraine.
How you can help
what we do
From the first weeks of the Ukraine Crisis in March 2022, Ukraine Relief Effort has been directing funds and aid from our community to specific needs of Ukrainian war victims. Our current projects are to collect urgently needed medical supplies from hospitals in the United States and ship them to Ukraine; and, with an American volunteer living in Ukraine, we are renovating houses for IDPs, who otherwise are living without indoor plumbing or heat. While we are doing the legwork, we need your support.
Join us in easing the torment of this war by volunteering or giving today. Thank you!
Our Goals
Fleeing your home is more than leaving your house, and finding a house to live in isn't always finding a home. Many houses IDPs now live in are missing basic amenities and infrastructure resulting in poor living conditions. Humanitarian aid dialogue often includes "dignified living conditions" as a goal but often forgets to define dignity in ways that can become a plan and shopping list.
To be clear in our objectives we define dignity in a living condition as:
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Equality among one's community: similar living conditions, utilities, and amenities, both private and social.
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Comfort and Safety in one's own home: including material, scale, clean air and water, and safety from weather and intruders.
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A self curated balance between private and social life, including within a family: one kitchen, living space and storage per family; privacy in bedrooms and bathrooms; and access to social infrastructure.
Defining
Dignity
We define our project goals as conditions, not objects, because conditions require an understanding of contexts like existing infrastructure, family dynamics, and building science. (Who knew that adding new windows to old brick buildings causes mold to grow on the interior surface of exterior walls?) Condition based design also blends the experience with the object. (What is a toilet without privacy, or a kitchen filled with smoke?)
Our six Basic Living Conditions come from learning from and connecting with Ukrainians and their culture, applying appropriate building codes and practices, and the question "Would I be happy if my mother lived here?"
These 6 conditions are not only a set of definitions, but a roadmap to providing a complete and wholistic solution. Each building is different, and so are the families. Our project development and delivery provides consistent results despite differing initial conditions.