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Our history

1992 year

The history of the International Charitable Foundation “Gift of Life” began in 1992 with a call to serve those affected by the Chernobyl disaster

Beginning

It all started with a small group of medical professionals and representatives of the Lutheran Church, united by a desire to help the most vulnerable

The idea received real support thanks to the generous funding and spiritual care of the Lutheran Mission Thoughts on Faith, which made it possible to bring this project to life.

The ideological inspirer and driver of this noble endeavor was the late radiologist Stepan Dudiak from Madison, Wisconsin.

Thanks to his efforts, two 11-meter-long outpatient buses equipped with modern medical equipment were built and shipped from the United States to Ukraine. The official presentation of these clinics on wheels took place in April 1992 at Ternopil’s Theater Square. The event was described as a “grand celebration of human charity and kindness” and received wide coverage in the media at the time.

Since then, the main task of our Medical Clinic on Wheels has been to provide free medical care to those in need, especially children.

A few years later, in 1997, we opened our pro-life centers, which have been working to support women in difficult life situations ever since.

It is especially important to help those who are faced with a difficult choice – to have an abortion or to save their lives. Until 2014, there were five counseling centers in Ukraine, but after the annexation of Crimea, the center in Sevastopol had to close. Today, there are four Gift of Life pro-life centers: two in Kyiv (Left Bank and Right Bank), and one in Ternopil and Kremenets.

Since the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, the foundation has been actively developing its activities and has become a center of hope and refuge for many displaced persons from the active war zone.

We provide not only humanitarian aid, but also spiritual support, offering people to find comfort in the Word of God in these difficult times.

We are grateful to everyone who joins this important mission

All the services provided by the Medical Clinic on Wheels and the Gift of Life Charitable Foundation's Counseling Centers are free of charge.