https://www.smolinministries.org/

Smolin Ministries, Sacramento, CA (2026)

09/11/2026

In partnership with Orphan Grain Train, Open Door Foundation was able to help provide much-needed support for Maksym and his family.

Maksym is a special boy who requires daily care and assistance. Because of his health condition, moving around independently is difficult, and his family was in great need of a pediatric wheelchair they could use at home.

Much of the family’s budget goes toward Maksym’s rehabilitation, treatments, and other ongoing needs. His family does everything they can to give him the best possible care and quality of life, but purchasing a specialized wheelchair was simply beyond what they could afford.

Receiving this wheelchair was a tremendous blessing.

It will help Maksym move around the home more comfortably and safely, while also making daily care a little easier for his family.

We are grateful to Orphan Grain Train for partnering with Open Door Foundation to make assistance like this possible, and to Awakening Church in Izmail and New Life Mission in Odesa for helping this support reach Maksym and his family.

To some, it may simply look like a wheelchair. But for this family, it means greater comfort, more freedom in everyday life, and the encouragement of knowing they are not walking through these challenges alone.

Thank you to everyone who continues to care for and support children with disabilities and their families.

09/11/2026

Open Door Foundation, in partnership with Friese Rijders voor Oekraïne | Izmail, Ukraine

Maria and her family are originally from the Kherson region. Not long ago, they had their own home, their belongings, a familiar routine, and plans for the future.

After the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and continued shelling in the region, life became increasingly dangerous. As a mother of two young children, Maria knew that staying was no longer safe for her family.

Together with her husband, she made the difficult decision to leave their home and relocate to Izmail.

Today, the family is renting a small apartment and slowly beginning again. They are grateful to be in a safer place, but they had to leave many of their belongings behind. Even some of the most basic household necessities are still missing—chairs for the family to sit together, bed linens, dishes, and other everyday items.

These may seem like small things, but for a family starting over, they mean so much.

A few chairs around a table can create a place for a family to share a meal. Fresh bed linens can bring comfort at the end of a difficult day. Simple kitchen items can help a temporary apartment begin to feel like home.

Through our partnership with Friese Rijders, we are grateful for the opportunity to come alongside families like Maria’s with practical support during a very difficult season.

Sometimes helping does not require something extraordinary. Small acts of kindness can remind a family that they have not been forgotten and that they are not walking through this season alone.

Because home is more than four walls.

Home is safety, warmth, family, and knowing that someone cares.

09/11/2026

Kharkiv Direction | September 2026

During a recent trip to the Kharkiv direction, our team had the opportunity to provide practical support to Ukrainian soldiers serving near the frontline.

Around 20 soldiers received new footwear, generously provided by a local church.

Something as simple as a good pair of shoes can make a meaningful difference for those serving in difficult frontline conditions. It is one small way we can show our care, gratitude, and support for the men and women who continue to defend Ukraine.

We are thankful to the local church and to everyone who helps make this kind of practical support possible.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine and with those who serve.

09/08/2026

Open Door Foundation Partnership with Orphan Grain Train | Izmail

Through our partnership with Orphan Grain Train, support continues to reach those serving and protecting Ukraine.

Natalia Pastushenko, a volunteer with the “Southern Fortress of Combat Veterans” Foundation, shared her heartfelt gratitude for the assistance provided to help meet the needs of Ukrainian military personnel.

The volunteers stay in regular contact with service members and do their best to respond to their most urgent needs by providing practical and essential supplies.

Natalia expressed her sincere thanks on behalf of both the foundation and the defenders to everyone who continues to care, give, and stand alongside those serving Ukraine.

We are grateful to Orphan Grain Train and to every person who helps make this support possible.

09/08/2026

Kharkiv Direction | August 2026

Together with our partners at Friese Rijders voor Oekraïne, Chaplain Oleksandr Yefremov traveled to the Kharkiv direction to serve and support people living in areas deeply affected by the ongoing war.

During the trip, the team was able to provide practical help, encouragement, and care to 60 people facing difficult circumstances near the frontline.

These visits are about more than simply bringing assistance. They are an opportunity to stand with people during incredibly difficult times, listen to them, encourage them, and remind them that they are not forgotten or alone.

We are grateful for every opportunity God gives us to bring help, hope, and compassion to those who need it most.

A special thank you to FriseRijders and to everyone who continues to support these trips and make this ministry possible.

09/02/2026

Denys’ Story — A Young Man with Dreams for the Future

Through the amazing partnership between Open Door Foundation and Friese Rijders voor Oekraïne , we are able to come alongside families facing incredibly difficult circumstances and remind them that they are not alone.

Denys is 17 years old and is courageously facing an incredibly difficult battle with cancer. He has a tumor located near his heart and lungs that doctors have determined cannot be operated on, and he is currently receiving palliative care.

Denys lives with his mother and stepfather in the village of Keleberda. His father passed away nine years ago, and his older sister now lives in Kyiv. Through every appointment, difficult day, and uncertainty, his mother remains faithfully by his side, doing everything she can to care for her son.

But Denys is so much more than his diagnosis.

He is a thoughtful and intelligent young man who loves history and enjoys reading. He dreams of one day becoming a correspondent—telling meaningful stories, asking important questions, and helping people better understand what is happening in the world around them.

Cancer has changed so much about Denys’ everyday life, but it has not taken away his curiosity, his character, or the dreams he carries for his future.

The assistance provided to Denys and his family helps ease some of the practical burdens they are facing during this extremely difficult season. More than that, it reminds them that they are seen, cared for, and surrounded by people who are willing to stand alongside them.

Denys and his family are deeply grateful to Open Door Foundation, Friese Rijders, and every partner, donor, and compassionate person who has supported them. Your kindness means much more than providing practical assistance. It brings encouragement to a mother caring for her seriously ill son and reminds Denys that his life, his voice, and his dreams matter.

Thank you for looking beyond the illness and seeing the remarkable 17-year-old young man behind it—and for helping his family know that they are not walking through this journey alone.

09/02/2026

Open Door Foundation Partnering with Friese Rijders voor Oekraïne

We are a large family from the Vinnytsia region, and for many years our hearts have been devoted to children who have grown up without the love, care, and security of a family. God has blessed us with five biological children and, over the years, 38 foster children who have become part of our family.

In 1996, I gave my life to the Lord, and one year later my husband did the same. Soon after, we felt God placing a special calling on our hearts to care for children coming from very difficult circumstances.

Since 2007, we have welcomed and cared for children from orphanages, crisis families, and psychiatric hospitals. Many of them have experienced deep trauma, neglect, or abuse, and some have special needs. Our desire has always been to give them more than just a place to stay—we want them to know what it means to be loved, accepted, protected, and part of a family.

In 2015, our family moved from the Vinnytsia region to the Dnipropetrovsk region. Through the generosity of a mission from Germany, we were given a home where we could continue caring for the children and create a warm, stable family environment for them.

When the full-scale war began, our lives changed again. At that time, we had 18 children living with us, and we were forced to leave and return to the Vinnytsia region. The conditions were very difficult. We experienced cold, shortages of water, power outages, overcrowding, and emotional exhaustion. At times, several children had to sleep together on one sofa because there simply was not enough space.
Even during those difficult days, we tried our best to remain a family—to give the children stability, comfort, and the reassurance that they were not alone.

Today, our family continues to care for children, help people in need, volunteer, and support those serving and defending Ukraine.

Thank you for standing with our family and helping us continue this calling.

09/01/2026

Odesa Region | August 2026

Open Door Foundation, together with our partners at FriseRijders and local partners in the Odesa region, continues to support families facing difficult circumstances because of the war.

“My name is Yevgeniya. I am a mother and grandmother living in the Odesa region. I recently lost my husband, and this has been a very difficult season for our family.

The war has changed so much in our daily lives. Raising children already comes with many responsibilities and expenses, and during wartime those challenges become even greater.

The food and essential supplies we receive are a tremendous help. They allow us to save money for other important needs and help make sure the children still have what they need to grow, learn, and simply enjoy being children.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who packs these boxes, delivers the aid, and continues to stand with families like ours. Your kindness means more than you know.

May God bless each person who is part of this good work.”

We are thankful for every partner who helps us continue bringing practical support, encouragement, and hope to families across Ukraine.

09/01/2026

Zhytomyr | August 2026

Together with our partners at Friese Rijders voor Oekraïne , chaplains from the Kyiv region visited a foster family in Zhytomyr.

Following the loss of their mother, the father is now raising six foster children from different regions of Ukraine on his own. During the visit, the family received practical assistance, encouragement, and much-needed support.

We are grateful for every opportunity to come alongside families walking through difficult seasons—to offer help, share care, and remind them that they are not alone.

Thank you to FriseRijders and everyone who continues to make this ministry possible.

09/01/2026

Izmail, Odesa Region | August 2026

In partnership with Orphan Grain Train (OGT) and our local partners in the Odesa region, Open Door Foundation continues to help provide practical support where it is needed most.

After a Shahed drone struck the emergency department of the Izmail District Hospital, part of the building was badly damaged and important medical equipment was destroyed. Rooms that had been used to receive and care for patients were left filled with debris.

Through the Awakening Church and the New Life Christian Mission, much-needed humanitarian assistance was delivered to the hospital, including a medical examination bed, chairs for patient rooms, diapers for bedridden patients, post-operative care supplies, medical gowns, and bed linens.

These may seem like simple items, but for patients and medical staff working through incredibly difficult circumstances, they make a meaningful difference.

We are grateful to Orphan Grain Train, our partners in the Odesa region, and the local churches and ministries serving faithfully on the ground.

Even when buildings are damaged and so much is taken away, compassion, generosity, and care for one another continue.

Smolin Ministries

09/11/2026

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