Caring for Those Who Help: A Series of Team Support Activities Completed Across Ukraine

In March 2026, the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation completed a series of mental health and resource-based activities for staff members and volunteers across different regions of Ukraine. In total, 18 sessions were held in 7 regions, bringing together 25 team members. The initiative was implemented within the framework of the project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation”, with the technical support of UN Women and funding from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).

Teams from various cities — Chernivtsi, Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv — had the opportunity to come together, shift their focus, and restore their internal resources.

The sessions were conducted in diverse formats, ranging from creative and body-oriented practices to informal conversations and shared leisure. Activities included art-based practices, workshops (pottery, painting, cheese-making), reflection sessions, educational events, canistherapy, and horse-assisted activities. All of these were aimed at:

• restoring the psycho-emotional resources of the teams;
• preventing professional burnout;
• strengthening internal resilience;
• enhancing team interaction and mutual support.

Particularly valuable were the sessions that combined work with the body, emotions, and interpersonal connection in a safe space — as this approach allows participants not only to rest, but also to regain the capacity to continue their work effectively.

“Sometimes it’s enough to simply pause and be present in the moment. These meetings create exactly that opportunity — to be together not only as colleagues, but as friends, and to receive many warm and positive emotions,” shares Natalka Heiman, the Foundation’s representative in Dnipro.

“These were not just workshops or meetings. It was time for oneself and for the team — a chance to exhale, feel supported, and return to work in a different state, calmer and more focused,” notes Liubov Dariy, the Foundation’s accountant and representative in Chernivtsi.

Such activities are part of a systematic approach to organizational development, where caring for the team is seen as a necessary condition for delivering high-quality support to beneficiaries.

After all, strong, resilient, and supported teams are the foundation of effective humanitarian programs and sustainable change in communities.

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The project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation” is produced by  the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation, with technical support of UN Women Ukraine and and financial support from the The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), a flexible and rapid financing mechanism that supports quality interventions aimed at strengthening the capacity of local women in conflict prevention, crisis and emergency response, and leveraging key peacebuilding opportunities.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), but the views and content expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views or endorsement of the United Nations.