Standing Together with Ukraine: Healing Through Faith, Relationship, and Hope.

War leaves wounds that extend far beyond what can be seen.

As the war in Ukraine continues, families are grieving people they love. Women have lost husbands. Communities have endured years of uncertainty, disruption, and loss.

Throughout it all, church leaders, faith-based organizations, and community members continue showing up for the people around them.

They are walking beside families through grief, supporting people experiencing the effects of trauma, and helping communities hold onto connection, faith, and hope amid circumstances that continue to change lives.

It is within this reality that Smile Forward CEO Dr. Angela Oliver-Burgess is returning to Ukraine.

Together with Grace Life Outreach, Hope House International, and Ukrainian partners, Smile Forward is continuing its commitment to faith-based trauma healing and entering an important new phase of this work: equipping local leaders with resources, practical tools and opportunities for shared learning that they can carry forward within their own churches and communities.

A New Phase: Training Local Leaders

During this visit, church leaders, representatives of faith-based organizations, and women who have lost their husbands in the war will come together for an intensive Training of Trainers initiative.

The training brings together faith, an understanding of the biology of trauma, and holistic approaches to healing the mind, body, and spirit. Participants will explore how trauma affects the body, relationships, emotions, and spiritual well-being while experiencing practical approaches that can support healing, connection, and resilience.

Central to this work is partnership. Ukrainian leaders bring an invaluable understanding of their communities, culture, faith, relationships, and the realities people are experiencing every day. The training builds upon that knowledge and experience while introducing additional resources, practices, and opportunities for reflection and shared learning.

Together, the goal is to strengthen the capacity of those already serving on the front lines of care within their communities.

From Learning to Local Action

The Training of Trainers is designed to extend well beyond the days participants spend together.

Following the training, participants will return to their communities and begin sharing what they have learned through practice trainings within their churches and organizations. They will have the opportunity to use and adapt approaches in ways that are meaningful and relevant to the people they serve.

This creates a ripple effect. Rather than reaching only those attending one training, knowledge and practical tools can travel through trusted relationships into churches, families, and communities across Ukraine.

It also creates opportunities to learn from experience. As participants begin using these approaches, their insights will help deepen the work: What is helping? What needs to be adapted? What additional needs are emerging? What are communities teaching us about faith, healing, resilience, and connection?

More Than a Training

A training may happen over a matter of days. A relationship can continue for years.

That distinction is important to this work.

Smile Forward and its partners plan to continue supporting participating leaders through ongoing relationships, virtual gatherings, shared learning, mentoring, and visits within Ukraine.

The goal is not simply to provide information. It is to help cultivate a growing community of leaders who can support one another as they bring faith-based trauma healing into their churches and communities.

In the midst of prolonged war, those relationships matter. Healing is rarely a single event. It unfolds over time through safety, connection, faith, compassionate relationships, and opportunities for people to reconnect with themselves, with others, and with hope.

Strength Already Present

Across Ukraine, people continue caring for one another despite extraordinary circumstances.

Faith communities continue gathering. Church leaders continue serving. Families continue supporting one another. Women who have lost their husbands continue caring for their children and rebuilding their lives. And people carrying their own grief continue finding ways to help others carry theirs.

There is profound strength in that.

Our work seeks to honor and build upon this strength while offering additional resources and practices that can support those who are caring for others—and remind caregivers that their own well-being matters too.

Through this shared work, we continue to learn from one another and deepen our understanding of what healing and resilience can look like in the midst of prolonged adversity.

Faith, Unity, Resilience, and Hope

There is no language that can lessen the realities of war. Yet alongside tremendous loss, we continue to witness faith, courage, compassion, resilience, connection, and hope.

These are the foundations upon which this next chapter is being built.

As Dr. Oliver-Burgess returns to Ukraine, Smile Forward is deeply grateful for the trust and partnership of the Ukrainian leaders, churches, organizations, and communities who make this work possible.

We invite our community to follow this journey and to hold the people of Ukraine, the participating leaders and families, and all those serving their communities in prayer.

May we continue Standing Together with Ukraine in faith, unity, resilience, and hope for a just peace.

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