Build a small group home for orphans in Ukraine

We finally have some progress to report!

Our Phase 2 Contractor began work in October. They are plumbing Blossom Cottage which includes running water from the Well to the house, then running pipes to all the necessary locations (bathrooms, utility rooms, and kitchen), plus the major job of installing under-floor piping that will be part of the HVAC system.

In Ukraine, it's not unusual to run pipes and wires above a first level of concrete foundation, and then covered by another layer. As an American, that sounded risky to me (what if something breaks), but it's a very common practice here.

We were also told last week that the power company is ready to build the necessary infrastructure to get electricity to our site. In practice, that means they will contract with the village to extend power and transformers to our location and we will pay for the work. They are supposed to tell us this week how we can pay. It will cost approximately $24,000 and thanks to your generosity (and the recent Passport to Purpose campaign, we have the money on-hand.

After plumbing (which should be finished any day now), the contractor will wire the whole house. Next will probably be the remainder of the HVAC system which will be our next major expense. After that, we should be able to start indoor finishes (flooring, sheetrock, ceiling) and maybe we can host volunteer teams in the Spring to help with that work.

Look for us in a few weeks to participate in GlobalGiving's Giving Tuesday campaign!

Our contractor finally finished Phase 1, building the "warm shell" for Blossom Cottage. We have a locked house with siding, roofing, windows and doors, rough plumbing and insulation.

Phase 2 will begin soon with local contractors to complete the plumbing and wiring, followed by HVAC. We're looking at a unique "in wall" heating and cooling system but we're not sure yet. We're also considering installing a whole house solar panel/battery system. We still don't have electricity on site. We also don't have good road access yet.

We hope to host volunteer teams to work on interior finishes as soon as Autumn. We will need to hang a lot of drywall and lay a lot of flooring! Let us know if you're interested in helping! 

We are especially grateful for support from our international partners like The Kimon Foundation in The Netherlands.

We're grateful for your support. Thank you!