There’s always a risk in putting information like this online. At the same time, something that was said in one of my expat chats really stuck with me: without blogs and resources like this, there’s also no help. Besides, it’s not exactly a secret that there are animal shelters, food distribution centers, and other volunteer opportunities in Lviv. Much of this information can be found with a simple Google search, including, in some cases, direct addresses.

So, this is meant to be a resource for anyone who wants to travel to Lviv, Ukraine, and help out while they’re there.

When I went in May, I was completely unaware and unprepared when it came to figuring out where I could actually volunteer. Did I need to make an appointment? Was it walk-in? Who was I supposed to contact? Who spoke English? What could I even do? My original plan was to reach out to the church next door, but when I didn’t hear back—and I only had a few weeks until I would literally be in Ukraine—I started feeling overwhelmed. I can’t lie and say that the thought of “Was this a bad idea?” didn’t cross my mind more than once.

And thus…

Domvika Animal Shelter
Food Kitchen for the Military
Camonetting
Train Station Refugees (Pt. 2)
Food Distribution in the City Center (Pt. 2)
Other Options (Pt. 2)

Domvika Animal Shelter

Possibly one of my favorites. The Domivka Animal Shelter isn’t just for dogs and cats, although that’s what we helped with primarily.

Domivka is a charitable foundation based in Lviv that has been rescuing animals for more than seven years. What makes it particularly unique is that it wasn’t originally created simply as a shelter for stray dogs and cats. Its story began with a place specifically designed to care for wild animals, farm animals, and birds that had been mistreated, neglected, injured, or kept in unacceptable conditions.

The list of residents is pretty remarkable. Domivka has cared for foxes, raccoons, owls, hedgehogs, pheasants, goats, ducks, chickens, deer, and many other animals. These aren’t animals being kept simply for people to look at—they are animals that needed somewhere safe to recover, receive veterinary treatment, or live when returning to the wild wasn’t possible.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Domivka’s work expanded far beyond what the shelter had originally been created to do. Suddenly, there were animals caught in the middle of a war.

Pets were left behind when their owners evacuated. Animals were injured. Entire communities were forced to flee, leaving animals without food, water, or access to veterinary care. Domivka began taking in animals affected by the war and started conducting rescue and evacuation missions to areas across Ukraine. According to Domivka, the organization has rescued more than 9,000 animals since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Their work can involve much more than simply bringing an animal back to Lviv. Animals may receive veterinary examinations, vaccinations, parasite treatment, microchipping, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Depending on the animal, the ultimate goal may be adoption, continued sanctuary care, or—in the case of wildlife—returning it to its natural habitat when it is safe to do so.

More than just a shelter

Today, Domivka has continued expanding its work beyond the original shelter. One of its projects is “Pechera,” a specialized center for rescuing and rehabilitating bats. Domivka describes it as the first specialized wintering and rehabilitation center for bats in western Ukraine, and says that more than 400 bats have already been saved through the project.

There is also “Mriya,” a planned space specifically for elderly and injured dogs—animals that can have a particularly difficult time finding adoptive families because of their age or trauma. The idea is to give these dogs somewhere they can live safely and comfortably even if adoption never happens.

Domivka is also developing “Tychok,” an ecopark intended to provide a more natural environment for the rehabilitation and long-term care of wild and agricultural animals.

Volunteering

The property has a park in the back. There is another animal shelter to walk dogs, but from what I heard- the animals are not treated great, the dogs are sad and anxious, etc. I really enjoyed the time. What I will say, though, is not everyone gets a easy-to-walk dog. Some are large and pull. Some are sweet like Mazepa. I was grateful to have a calm pup- but there are some that seem pretty unpleasant to walk, and since there is no time limit- unfortunately most volunteers bring them back pretty early, I imagine- which doesn’t help the energy that they have.

Food Kitchen for the Military

There is one main food kitchen in Lviv. If you take a Bolt/Uber to get there, you might have to leave the pin on the main street as opposed to the actual address. The kitchen itself is in a little pocket, so to speak from the main street and I found sometimes when I left the pin on the actual building, the Bolt drivers had difficulty and would navigate to the other side of the fence. Trying to be respectful, I would just say, “Tyt tse dobre” (here is fine) and would walk to the other side on my own, which depending on where the opening of the fence was, could be a good 5-7 minute walk.

Once you arrive, you can’t miss it. There is a guard dog outside for the opposing building that seems to be nothing but a big fluffy sleepy friend. 🙂 Just look for the “кухня” (kitchen) signs and the entrance is in the back with the big crates.

It was probably my third day when I came here. My Ukrainian was shaky still- I was looking for maybe a front desk or something? But there was nothing so formal as that. You walk in, there’s the freeze drier room, the main food prep room, a soup counting room (will talk about that in a moment) and the kitchen for preparing food.

I eventually found someone who looked like she might be in charge. I said, awkwardly “Ya hochu volunter?” (I want to volunteer). And upon that, everyone looked up and said almost in unison- “Volunter? Tse Dobre!” (Volunteer? That’s good/great!) I then said in English that I don’t know what to do haha so help me please!

A lady next to me who spoke a little English showed me how to put the jerky on the metal sheet, preparing to freeze dry it later. They gave us fresh soup (Borscht, of course) daily and there was coffee and tea on the side for everyone.

I would say that this was the place I had gone that just felt the most Ukrainian. People spoke to each other, cheerfully in Ukrainian- they were hospitable and tried to include me where they could. They all wanted to get to know me and when they asked if I had breakfast and I said no, in came Syrnky (Ukrainian pancakes) with jam. They were efficient and let me try the honey granola and other things. Most times, the tables were full of Ukrainian women (Babucia- grandmothers). Sometimes there was talking, often it was fairly quiet. The other places I had gone it was either mostly expats or not a lot of talking. I went here the most and whether it be peeling beets, potatoes or parsimmon, I had a pretty enjoyable time.

History

The story of the Lviv Volunteer Kitchen goes back to 2014, when Russia’s war against Ukraine began in the Donbas.At the time, the Ukrainian military desperately needed supplies, including food. A group of Lviv residents began experimenting with making dehydrated soups and borscht that could be sent to soldiers at the front.

The idea was surprisingly simple. People would grow or collect vegetables, dry them at home, and bring them to volunteers. The volunteers would combine the ingredients, portion them, and send the packages to soldiers.

There weren’t large industrial kitchens or a huge volunteer workforce behind it. People were essentially doing what they could with what they had. One of the people who became central to the project was Oksana Mazar, who remains one of the organization’s leaders today. She has described how she originally became involved after reading about people making dried soups for soldiers. She had vegetables growing outside the city and decided she could dry some herself and contribute. And that small contribution eventually became years of volunteer work.

From someone’s kitchen to an organization

As more people became involved, the operation grew. The volunteers eventually obtained dehydrators and dedicated spaces where they could process larger quantities of food. What had begun with people drying vegetables in their homes became a coordinated volunteer operation.

The organization was formally registered as a public organization in 2018, although its volunteer work dates back to 2014. Over the years, the menu expanded far beyond the original dried borscht.

Volunteers have produced things such as:

• Dried borscht
• Various soups
• Buckwheat and other porridges
• Vegetable dishes
• Dried mushrooms
• Tea and uzvar
• Energy mixtures and energy bars
• Honey cakes
• Cookies and pastries
• Other shelf-stable foods

The concept is especially useful for soldiers because dehydrated food is lightweight, doesn’t require refrigeration, and can be prepared with hot water. In other words, what might look like a bag of dried vegetables to someone in Lviv can become a hot, filling meal for someone sitting in a trench or at a frontline position.

Then February 24, 2022 happened.

Like so many Ukrainian volunteer organizations, the full-scale invasion changed everything. The amount of work at the kitchen increased dramatically. In the first months of the full-scale invasion, reports said the volunteers were sending as many as two truckloads of food to the front each day.

Camonetting

Camonetting can be found in libraries or other public spaces if you look online. Essentially, it is a form of creating a “net” made of torn fabric to conceal military vehicles and other equipment. You would drape it over whatever you are trying to conceal and it would be camoflauged from drones and such.

Depending on what stage of the camonet you are in, you will tie a different knot. It’s incredibly time consuming, but can be a fun and definitely helpful thing to do if you have some spare time and don’t mind tying some knots!

My blog post on my personal experience with camonetting on my first day in Lviv and experiencing the Ukrainian hospitality can be found here.

Cheers friends & Travelers!
~Sho, Founder of Backroad Butterflies ~

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