About us - MoveUkraine.org

John Shmorhun, an American of Ukrainian heritage, is MoveUkraine’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. John has served as an international executive for over 35 years, including close to three decades of living and working in Ukraine.

Patricia Shmorhun-Hawrylyshyn is Chief Operating Officer. The Swiss Ukrainian entrepreneur is a partner in the Porcelain Group (dental and medical clinics in Ukraine), co-founder of Pechersk School International, an international IB School located in Kyiv and of the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation.

The idea to establish the MoveUkraine charity was born when John witnessed the heartbreaking sight of thousands of Ukrainian mothers and children flooding into Western Ukraine, seeking refuge and often forced to sleep on the floors of railway stations, churches, schools and village halls. In response to this urgent humanitarian need, he founded MoveUkraine, driven by his determination to provide these displaced individuals with safe and dignified living conditions.

So far, MoveUkraine has raised over $2,000,000, providing homes for hundreds of Ukrainians in more than 12 repurposed buildings in Western Ukraine. All of those new homes were refurbished by MoveUkraine and ensures dignified living conditions for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Our focus is caring for IDP mothers and children, the elderly and handicapped while their loved ones defend Ukraine.

OUR MOTTO: HOMES, JOBS, LIVES

HOMES: our renovated homes and social apartment buildings are built to turnkey with the personalized furniture and appliances needed for dignified living conditions;
JOBS: we work with local furniture producers and we provide work for our local IDPs. We also provide in-house and external trainings for the site managers who regulate and accompany our residents in their new accommodations and communities;
LIVES: we visit our residents regularly and become part of their lives. We coordinate educational, cultural, medical and psychological programs for the families.

OUR STRENGTHS:

MoveUkraine gets things done quickly and efficiently leveraging our proven business management skills;
we excel at building strong relationships and valuable collaborations with established charities and government entities;
we are hands on. Team members often reside near many of our projects and routinely travel to more distant locations with extreme, immediate or long term need;
we prioritize trustworthiness both internally and externally. We have more than 30 years working in transparent successful businesses in Ukraine.

Our US partner, Applied Hope Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has teamed with MoveUkraine, to provide US tax-deductible donations using processes approved by the IRS. Your gift will provide humanitarian shelter and support to displaced families inside Ukraine.