Global focus: ‘Touch of Ukraine’ update is Saturday in city
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Following strong local support for her work with the Nash Sokil (Our Falcon) Foundation, Dr. Oksana Myronenko will present a community update Saturday, Nov. 14.
The event, titled "A Touch of Ukraine," will take place at 3 p.m. at the Woman's Club of Warren, offering a first-hand chance to hear about the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
During her visit to Warren in 2024, Myronenko provided an update on the Falcon Foundation. Determined to celebrate Ukrainian culture during Saturday's event, rather than focusing solely on the sadness of war, Myronenko will be preparing a dish called borscht for attendees.
"I have personally found borscht to be the universal food of thanks while working on humanitarian trips in Ukraine," said Piper VanOrd, who has been greatly involved in aiding Ukrainian refugees since 2022.
Anyone interested in learning how to make the dish is welcome to join her on her final batch at 3:30 p.m.
Since the beginning of the war, the local community in Warren continues to show support. In the opening weeks of the war, Russian forces killed Myronenko's mother and left her father badly wounded. He managed to crawl to a nearby chicken coop, where rescuers found him the next day and brought him to Dr. Myronenko. She performed multiple surgeries on her own father -- and saved his life.
The Falcon Foundation rescues elderly and disabled people -- many left alone -- from active war zones and devastated areas. Myronenko, a trauma surgeon, offers them food, shelter, and healthcare, treating every individual like family and knowing each one by name. While she has even built hospitals to care for them, her most urgent and constant need is adult diapers. VanOrd said that she has purchased, loaded, and unloaded hundreds of boxes during her visits, yet it is never enough as new evacuees continue to arrive.
Myronenko endures a 12-hour train ride to Kyiv every week, regularly delivers much-needed supplies to orphanages, and travels to military trauma units near the front lines to perform life-saving surgeries.
An update on the efforts of her Falcon Foundation will be shared and Myronenko will be available to answer any questions. Guests can browse a display of traditional Ukrainian garments and bid on select auction items, with all proceeds going directly to the Falcon Foundation. Your Daily Serving will provide finger foods to snack on throughout the afternoon. Four professional Ukrainian photographers have also contributed their work, capturing life both before the war and four years into the conflict, with captions explaining each powerful image.
In addition, a student completing her surgical residency in Ukraine and whose husband is in captivity will be present with a display that touches upon the reality that Ukrainian families are facing.
Although the event begins at 3 p.m., attendance is encouraged at any time during the two hour event.
A representative from the Sokolski Foundation will be present to assist those wishing to make charitable donations.