Over 50 children from LifeChanger FSU humanitarian project, active in Ukraine, received gift card certificates for new clothing at Gloria Jeans stores this week. The certificates give the LifeChanger children, who come from disadvantaged families, a chance to purchase stylish new clothing and school uniforms for the upcoming school year.

“Children grow fast and need new size clothing every year,” says mother of two teenage participants in Vinnitsa. “It gets even harder with teenagers, who want to choose everything themselves. This year, thanks to the project, they will be able to choose quality clothes to their taste.”

LifeChanger FSU operates in six Ukrainian regions, where the certificates were distributed: Vinnitsa, Zhitomir, Kherson, Mariupol, Chernovtsy and Nikolayev. It is an all-encompassing program dedicated to permanently changing the lives of children-at-risk for the better, and includes help with material needs along side of psychological help, counseling , social work and everything in between.

“When I first enrolled in the project, six months ago, I had health problems and suffered from being overweight,” says a 14-year old participant from Zhitomir. “Now, thanks to the help from the psychologist, personal trainer, project coordinator and the entire LifeChanger FSU team I got in shape and feel great. The kids in my class stopped bullying me and I made new friends,” he smiles. “As for new clothes, I now need models three sizes smaller. Thanks to the project, I will be able to choose fashionable clothing and feel assured and confident in the upcoming year,” he adds.

LifeChanger FSU was first introduced in Ukraine a year ago, as the country suffered in the aftermath of the armed conflict, faced with shaky economy and overall dread and uncertainty. Since then, more than 250 children in various risk situations, from babies to teenagers, have received the much-needed lifeline of help and hope. Now entering its second year, the project aims to expand to more cities and be able to enroll even more children in need.

“To get two schoolchildren ready for a new year is no easy task these days,” says the grandmother of two young sisters from Kherson. “Everything is very expensive – the uniforms, backpacks, supplies… I try to help my granddaughters with money from my pension, but that is not much of a solution. Now that the girls are enrolled in LifeChanger FSU they’ve been transformed – they are smiling, confident, always busy doing something. After my daughter divorced and my husband died our situation was very difficult. It is a joy beyond words to know that there are people who are not indifferent to the fate of our kids and grandkids. Thank you!”

The clothing certificates are available to the children thanks to the joint support from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) headed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the Gloria Jeans franchise.