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The Dobrodiy Club has been creating and implementing programs and projects for teenagers that serve as transformative life-changing experiences, helping them live a happy and conscious life despite all challenges.
The results over these years
Our aid has reached newly liberated settlements, offering vital support to children and teenagers in times of crisis, extending its reach across Ukraine, including frontline and de-occupied territories.
This is how Maria Todorchuk, the founder of the Dobrodiy Club, often explains the foundation’s appearance.
Maria’s personal volunteer experience led to the official creation of the foundation. Initially, she volunteered at the children’s department of the National Cancer Institute, later becoming a mentor in orphanages.
A responsible approach to volunteering attracted more people eager to support orphans and children in difficult life circumstances. The community of caring individuals grew, and in 2016, the Dobrodiy Club was officially established as a charitable foundation.
It launched educational and career orientation programs, life skills development projects, inspirational events, and activities aimed at broadening perspectives. The foundation has always promoted a proactive approach rather than dependency—offering a “fishing rod, not just a fish”—demonstrating that success is built through self-improvement, regardless of one’s starting conditions.
To emphasize the importance of effective aid for orphans and raise public awareness, the Club of Benefactors initiated several informational campaigns.
The initiative highlighted – the importance of providing orphans with opportunities for education and development instead of gifts like sweets.
The campaign included a video that projected the future of a child raised only on candy.
The social video reached over 75 000 audience contacts and received hundreds of shares on social media. It was strenghened by over 160 informational posters displayed in offices, cafes, and residential complexes, as well as an Instagram filter developed by Ffface.me.
Orphan kids Can Change the World
Another campaign, called on people to help orphans by providing opportunities and education.
Advertisements featuring messages encouraging the expansion of horizons for orphans were placed in Kyiv’s metro stations, cafes, and restaurants.
On Children’s Protection Day the foundation launched a campaign titled “Protecting Children from Adults”
Which identified the main threats to childhood—violence, neglect, alcoholism, hunger, and abuse — through real-life stories of children supported by the Dobrodiy Club.
Several projects have emerged from this initiative:
Designed to unite the nonprofit sector and provide essential knowledge to those willing to contribute, making the sector more professional, effective, and productive.
A translation of the renowned book by social innovator Laura Arrillaga-Andressen, made possible through the initiative of Maria Todorchuk and the support of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. It became one of the first books in Ukraine on systematic philanthropy.
«Dobrodiy Club» is one of the initiators of the All-Ukrainian Day of Good Deeds.
Millions of people, hundreds of corporations, and thousands of non-profit organizations have become part of the charitable movement #GivingTuesday. Together with them, we unite around good deeds, popularize them, and build together the better world we all dream of.
Families in difficult circumstances included, first and foremost, large families, displaced families from Eastern regions, single mothers, families with elderly parents or sick relatives, as well as residents of frontline areas.
To prevent children from ending up in orphanages and to support families during this challenging time, the Dobrodiy Club began providing urgent humanitarian aid to families affected by the consequences of the pandemic.
For most children in orphanages and family-type children’s homes, holidays pass in the same way: they do not travel anywhere and help caregivers or parents with household chores. Some children have never even left their hometowns and do not realize how diverse and vibrant Ukraine truly is.
Many of them have never seen the sea or the mountains. To introduce children to the undiscovered beauty of their homeland, the Dobrodiy Club organized trips. For each of the five family-type children’s homes, these were their first journeys and a new perspective on family life in unfamiliar settings.
During the full-scale war, the Dobrodiy Club revived the “I Succeeded!” project, adapting its program to the conditions of the new reality
The purpose of the intensive became developing resilience and confidence in difficult times, supporting children and teenagers affected by the war.
Years of working with children in difficult circumstances revealed a common issue — many lacked confidence in their potential.
The Dobrodiy Club created “I did It!”, an educational intensive program where individuals who have overcome poverty, orphanhood, or hardships share their experiences with children beginning their journeys.
During the camp, children received the “Success Roadmap”, a workbook designed to help them recognize their strengths, set goals, and visualize their paths to achievement. The program was adapted during the full-scale war to help children build resilience and confidence in uncertain times.
During the full-scale war, the Dobrodiy Club revived the “I Succeeded!” project, adapting its program to the conditions of the new reality
The purpose of the intensive became developing resilience and confidence in difficult times, supporting children and teenagers affected by the war.
Overall, emergency aid from the Dobrodiy Club in the first year of the major war became an important support for families on the brink of survival and reached all regions of Ukraine – to families from small towns and villages where there were no volunteer centers, meaning people simply couldn’t receive help otherwise.
On February 24, 2022 the Dobrodiy Club’s team checked on each other’s safety in work chats. By February 25 we were already delivering aid to children.
From the first day of the full-scale war, the Dobrodiy Club’s team began searching for ways to help families who had packed their entire lives into a single backpack and fled the fighting, saving their children.
When thousands of mothers with young children stood in long lines at the western border, seeking refuge in neighboring countries, we provided gas canisters to heat tea and food. We sent thousands of packages with food, baby formula, and hygiene products to shelters, hospitals, metro stations, orphanages, and the most dangerous hotspots in the country at that time. We assisted families and shelters with evacuations to safer regions. As soon as the fighting and shelling subsided on the outskirts of Kyiv, we were the first to launch live creative workshops for children and teenagers in the war-torn capital.
By the second week of the war, we started including creative kits in emergency aid packages—modeling clay, pencils, drawing albums, and later, even slime. After all, creativity can entertain a child and bring them moments of joy.
During the first year of the full-scale war, BBC Britain covered the foundation’s efforts in a special report:
Overall, emergency aid from the Dobrodiy Club in the first year of the major war became an important support for families on the brink of survival and reached all regions of Ukraine – to families from small towns and villages where there were no volunteer centers, meaning people simply couldn’t receive help otherwise.
During the first winters of the full-scale war, Ukrainian families faced constant power and heating outages.
This was especially critical in frontline regions, where blackouts lasted for weeks or even months. Many parents could not afford even the most basic items to keep their children warm during the winter.
To provide warmth to children in frontline areas during winter, we created the online store “Zihriyvai”, where for two consecutive winters, people could purchase warm sets for children, including a sleeping bag, a heating pad, and a hat; or boots, a blanket, and a thermos.
After a year of full-scale war, it became clear that the needs and challenges of today’s children and teenagers had changed significantly.
To understand their condition during the war, their visions of the future, how the war has impacted their lives, and what helps them cope with stress and stay strong, the Dobrodiy Club conducted a large nationwide study: “Teenagers and Their Lives During War: Attitudes, Values, Future”.
The data became a crucial tool for planning our future activities, making informed decisions, and shaping the focus of upcoming projects and programs.
Read Research
At the beginning of the full-scale war, we acted reactively – providing food, hygiene, shelters. In 2023-24, we researched and recognized the new needs of children and teenagers.
We realized they needed stabilization, resource replenishment, and professional help to withstand and navigate this reality. And to be resilient to the challenges that tomorrow brings.
After conducting research on youth attitudes, we found:
In December 2023, we opened “Place of Power” — a unique space for supporting, restoring, and strengthening the resilience of teenagers affected by the war.
Equipped shelter, creative zones, workshops, and training areas, trust room for psychological support, “No Adults Allowed” room.
This space in the heart of the capital is our response to teenagers’ need for communication, new skills, and tools for self-support. “Place of Power” embodies all the experience gained by the Dobrodiy Club.
About "Place of Power"
In summer 2024, the Dobrodiy Club established a new tradition for Children’s Protection Day.
It aims to remind people of the true meaning of this day and to draw attention to the importance of supporting children’s and teenagers’ mental health.
The “Responsible Initiative” aims to remind Ukrainians that June 1st is not just about cotton candy and celebrations—it is a day to discuss protection and support for children. Because their present is our future!
To highlight the need for support during the war, major Ukrainian businesses—Ukrzaliznytsia, Rozetka, Nova Poshta, Silpo, Darnytsia, Megogo, Foxtrot, MOYO, UAnimals, and 80+ other companies—changed their logos to ones drawn by children from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sloviansk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Kryvyi Rih, and other regions of Ukraine.
Additionally, a large charity fundraiser brought together over 100 responsible adults, raising nearly 2 million UAH for psychological support for children and teenagers affected by the war.
