Weatherman Foundation
Weatherman Foundation
Winter is Here: November Ukraine Response

Winter is Here: November Ukraine Response

Ongoing missile barrages have continued targeting critical energy infrastructure across Ukraine since mid-November, leaving millions of people, including elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children without electricity and heating.

By Tori Hil·May 12, 2022

Situational Update November 17-30:

Ongoing missile barrages have continued targeting critical energy infrastructure across Ukraine since mid-November, leaving millions of people, including elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children without electricity and heating. The attacks and related damage to infrastructure have also affected access to clean water, including in large cities such as Kyiv. Because of the extensive damage to critical infrastructure and consequent disruption to energy and heating in previously Russian-occupied areas, we are helping to evacuate residents who want to move from Kherson and Mykolaiv during the harsh winter months and Weatherman Foundation's winterization and medical-supply response continues to be a top priority -- made possible with your support.


Partner Feature: Zemliachy "Compatriots" Ukrainian Front

One of the statistics that has moved us to action lately is this: Approximately 60,000 women are now serving in Ukraine's military forces, with more than 5,000 on the frontlines and in direct combat. These numbers show a massive surge of women voluntarily joining the military since the invasion earlier this year, with many frequently joining frontline units.

This rapid increase of women serving as combat medics and in direct combat roles happened while there has been little time or resourcing directly addressing the needs of those women on the front. They face everything from a lack of basic uniform items with women being issued men’s uniforms, boots, and oversized body armor -- which provides minimal protection -- to a desperate need for feminine hygiene products and women-specific medication.

Zemliachy "Compatriots" Ukrainian Front works tirelessly to meet those needs.

As our very own President, Dr. Meaghan Mobbs, and many of our staff are veterans, this cause is one we resonate with deeply.

We could not be prouder to support the NGO, Zemliachy, delivering a huge donation of supplies from our generous partners at the French Civil Protection (FNPC) Agency last week.


Watch the beautiful reception video here.

Vital items, such as feminine hygiene products, women-specific medicines, blankets, sleeping bags and supplies will continue to be sent to them in the coming months.

Read more about how they are working to support women on the frontlines by clicking here.


Vehicles and More Arrive from Germany!


On Wednesday, November 23, the Tulcea Humanitarian Logistics Hub was honored to host representatives of the German Embassy in Romania, the City Administrations of Dortmund Germany and Mykolayiv, [top and left images] Rotary Club, Acor, and the Tulcea Civil Administration.

As part of the visit, we facilitated the handover of 10 vehicles (minivans, a tractor, a bus, trucks, car) [bottom images] and additional supplies, donated by Stadt Dortmund to the City of Mykolayiv in Ukraine. This donation is a direct result of our strengthening relationships with EU governments who have begun to use the Hub and our verified delivery mechanisms to bring in aid to Ukraine. Further partnerships are continuing to develop and we're honored to count Stadt Dortmund among our generous, donating partners!

A huge thank you to Mr. Ahmed Lundgren-Bekov, Ms. Cristina Molea, Mr. Martin van der Pütten, Mr. Aiko Wichmann and the people of Germany for their support to Ukraine!


Supporting Newly-Liberated Kherson!

Earlier this month, the city of Kherson was liberated from a nearly nine-month-long Russian occupation -- a major victory for Ukraine! But after months of bombardment, the city's infrastructure and supplies are down to bare bones: very little food, no running water, and complete lack of electricity and heat. Our operations team was able to conduct an immediate needs assessment and sent back requests within days of the liberation. Our team at the Tulcea Logistics Hub acted quickly, sending a truckload of aid worth over $2 million: food, vital medicines, medical supplies, hygiene supplies, blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, flashlights and more to the citizens of Kherson. Thanks to our partners on the ground in Kherson, the supplies are being distributed to clinics, shelters and families, and hundreds of patients in local hospitals have been given hope to survive.

The journey to deliver in Kherson was not easy, as most roads in this part of Ukraine are damaged and require driving large vehicles at a snail's pace, avoiding edges of potholes and craters caused by rocket fire. While unloading the delivery, one of our team members asked the truck driver how we could thank him for his time and services he said:

"The best thanks is involvement in this work and social utility. We all stick together. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to feel needed."

Courage and commitment like this from our drivers is one of the reasons we are able to continue supplying places most in-need like those pictured below. Your support is another reason we're able to deliver medicines and medical supplies, as it helps us cover the cost of both the trucks, as well as the fuel to get them to their destinations on time.

Keeping Hospitals Well-Supplied

Our international partners at the Tulcea Hub were able to secure 156 hospitals beds this month! Those pictured [above], are now ready to be used by the team of medical professionals in Dnipro [below], allowing them to utilize a new hospital wing for more severe casualties to be treated. A huge thank you to the Romanian Honorary Consul in Dnipro [below, right], who has helped us connect to hospitals in-need!

New Partnerships

Our newest Ukrainian NGO partners recieving aid from the Tulcea Humanitarian Logistics Hub include:
New Down Odesa, the Reunification Project in Kiev and Pokrov Kharkiv -- all of which are delivering aid to displaced families, particularly in villages and towns that were under occupation. Check out how your support is supporting the people of Ukraine, protecting the lives of children and putting smiles on faces. 

WATCH: A special thank you message from the Pokrov team delivering aid to Kharkiv, here.

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Today marks three years since Jeffrey Judd Jones gave his life for Ukraine.

On ...
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Today marks three years since Jeffrey Judd Jones gave his life for Ukraine. On July 31, 2023, the heart of an American volunteer, a true warrior of light, stopped beating. Jeffrey gave not only his life, but also his heart and soul for the people of Ukraine and for the values of freedom he believed were worth defending. His life was cut short on the battlefield in the Donetsk region. Born in Maine and living in Georgia, USA, Jeffrey could not stand aside while, across the ocean, freedom, human dignity, and independence were being destroyed. His path in defense of Ukraine was one of unwavering resolve from the very beginning. He first traveled to Ukraine as a medic, putting himself in harm’s way to save lives. During his service, an enemy artillery shell struck a building, causing a wall to collapse on him. Despite spending five days in the hospital and subsequently returning to the U.S. to recover, his dedication never wavered. After he healed, he chose to return across the ocean. This time directly in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to take up arms and stop evil. We bow our heads before this act of profound courage and dignity. To cross thousands of kilometers, to leave the comfort of one’s own home, and to stand in defense of Ukrainian families is the highest expression of love for truth, freedom, and humanity. We offer our deepest condolences to the family of our fallen Hero: his son, Kyle Jones of Brunswick, Maine; his father, Howard Jones, and his wife, Sondra Jones; as well as his loved ones and brothers-in-arms. Your loss is immeasurable, but the memory of your Jeffrey will live on forever in the hearts of the Ukrainian people. Three years have passed, yet Jeffrey’s sacrifice remains a lasting reminder that the defense of freedom knows no borders. His courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment continue to inspire all who fight for justice and human dignity. Eternal memory and honor to the Hero who crossed an ocean for Ukraine’s freedom.

5 days ago

There are oceans that divide continents, and there are decisions that unite hear...
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There are oceans that divide continents, and there are decisions that unite hearts across thousands of miles. For 28-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lance Lawrence, the Atlantic was never an obstacle. It became a bridge between his homeland and the burning steppes of Ukraine, where the fate of global freedom was being decided. He came to Ukraine not for glory, nor gain, nor out of obligation. He came because his inner compass left him no other choice. As a true warrior of light, he could not stand by silently while an enemy destroyed innocent lives. Lance was a heavy weapons expert, a professional to the core, but his greatest weapon was his kindness. His brothers-in-arms remember his genuine smile—one capable of scattering the thickest darkness in the dugouts—and his quiet generosity. He would silently share everything he had and lend a shoulder when strength seemed entirely gone. Even after a ricochet round wounded his wrist, Lance thought only of one thing: returning to his brothers as quickly as possible. He didn’t look for an excuse to step back. The moment his wound healed, he stepped right back into the hell of war. July 29, 2023. Eastern Ukraine. A heavy barrage of enemy mortars, machine-gun fire, grenades, and drone strikes... In this fiery storm, Lance Lawrence, shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother-in-arms, former U.S. Army officer Andrew Webber, fought his final battle. They stood their ground against the assault to hold back imperial aggression. On that day, in that same operation, two sons of America gave their lives so that Ukrainian soil could have a future. For those first unbearable days after the battle, both Lance and Andrew were among the missing — their fate unknown, their families holding onto hope in silence. But no fog of war, no delay in answers, could ever diminish what these two brothers-in-arms had already given.”

1 week ago

There is a pain no language on earth was built to hold — the pain of losing some...
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There is a pain no language on earth was built to hold — the pain of losing someone you love in a war that wasn’t his by fate, but became his by free will. Three years ago, on July 29th, an ocean away from home, the heart of Andrew Webber stopped beating — an American veteran, a senior reconnaissance soldier of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade. He crossed an ocean that didn’t ask him to. Back home, a whole life stood waiting to be lived — a family, children, peace, the quiet kind of happiness most spend a lifetime chasing. He could have stayed. Comfort was his for the taking. But somewhere inside him lived the call every warrior knows — the one that will not let you look away from innocent blood. Instead, he chose to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians. What made him proudest was the work he did beside Ukrainian officers — guarding the innocent from an enemy that came uninvited. This was not a fleeting impulse — it was the deliberate choice of a man who understood what freedom costs, and decided the price was his to pay. Today, on the third anniversary of his death, we bow our heads. We thank Andrew’s family — his beloved wife, DeeDee, their daughters, Gwennie and Vera, who carry his memory every day. We thank his Father, Jamie and his siblings— and, his mother, Karla Webber. She carries more than a mother’s grief for a son who did not come home. She has turned that grief into a mission, leading the Memento Mori direction at the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, gathering the families of fallen foreigners under one roof of memory. Because she knows a simple, unbearable truth: what is left unnamed disappears. What is spoken by name endures. Here at the Foundation, we ask for one thing above all — that Andrew’s story, and the stories of every son, husband, and father who crossed an ocean for a country not their own, never dissolve into the cold arithmetic of a great war. That their names outlive the war itself. We remember the name of Andrew Webber. We remember why he was here. Eternal memory.

1 week ago

Andre Bosma, a 27-year-old volunteer from the Netherlands, came to defend Ukrain...
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Andre Bosma, a 27-year-old volunteer from the Netherlands, came to defend Ukraine in 2022. Since childhood, he had always felt rootless — not in a geographical or material sense, but on a much deeper, existential level. Despite being born in the Netherlands and spending years in England, he never felt fully aligned with the culture or mindset of either society. Ukraine drew him in through a powerful inner calling. To him, it was only in the intensity of combat and the presence of real danger that life revealed its true meaning. His journey began quite literally with a long walk toward the border. Amid the chaos of the full-scale invasion and the uncertainty of wartime logistics, he walked 25 kilometers to the border with only five euros in his pocket. Over years of intense combat in some of the hottest sectors of the war, Andre went through a major transformation during the war. He served as a designated marksman, infantryman, fire support specialist, and later as a mortar operator, developing his skills directly in combat under different commanders. In the fall of 2025, he was wounded. The fighter required prolonged specialized treatment and medical evacuation. As part of our Wounded in Action Program, the team provided logistical support for the foreign volunteer. The foundation's team handed the case over to our partner, @netherlandsforukraine, who arranged for treatment and proper rehabilitation, handled the documentation, and submitted the case for review. Thanks to them Andre was admitted to Europe's leading clinical centers — Martini Hospital — where he underwent treatment and a course of rehabilitation. After completing the primary stage of burn treatment, Andre now faces a new and equally difficult challenge — mental rehabilitation. His story is not only about physical endurance, but also about the unique psychology of a warrior whose inner world operates according to the laws of extremes.

2 weeks ago

Ukraine bids farewell to fallen defender Clayton Moore, a U.S. citizen who gave ...
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Ukraine bids farewell to fallen defender Clayton Moore, a U.S. citizen who gave his life defending the freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He didn’t have to be here. But some decisions aren’t made for personal gain — they’re made because a person sees injustice and cannot stand aside. To fight for a land that becomes yours by choice, not birth, demands extraordinary courage. The farewell ceremony in Kyiv was held with full military honors: a solemn service at the cathedral, an honor guard, the flags of Ukraine and the United States standing side by side — a brotherhood forged at the highest possible price. On Independence Square, blue and yellow smoke rose in his honor, above the heart of the nation he chose to defend. Those who served alongside him knew this courage well. As a Senior Operator in the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, he was described by his fellow soldiers simply as an all-around incredible soldier — the kind of person you hope to meet once in a lifetime. Clayton rarely spoke of his own accomplishments. Service was simply what he was called to do — first as a soldier, then as a police officer, and finally as a volunteer who came to Ukraine twice, returning in 2025 after serious injuries in 2023 to continue serving. He believed that if he could help someone, he had the responsibility to do so. To his fellow soldiers, he was known by the callsign “Gingy.” To his family, he was simply Clayton — a man whose actions always spoke louder than his words, whose humility and integrity were never things he spoke about, only things he lived. He lived only twenty-nine years, yet filled them with extraordinary purpose — as a son, brother, uncle, soldier, police officer, volunteer, and friend, always choosing service over self. Today, Clayton begins his final journey home. But what he defended remains here — in every day that Ukraine lives free. We bow our heads before his sacrifice, and carry a gratitude that words cannot measure. Glory to the Heroes. Rest in peace, Clayton. @144_sof_ua @wolfborn_sof_ua * for privacy purposes, faces in some photos have been blurred using AI.

2 weeks ago

«You’ve changed» — that is what family members and loved ones often say about so...
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«You’ve changed» — that is what family members and loved ones often say about someone who has undergone ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT). The change is not immediate, but something becomes softer. For veterans who have lived through combat — assault operations, defending positions, and the loss of fellow soldiers — this is often what has been missing: the ability to let go of what the body and mind carried for years. How does the treatment work? Patients receive ketamine through carefully controlled administration under continuous medical supervision. The dosage is introduced gradually while physicians remain with the patient throughout the entire session. The experience is accompanied by a specially curated musical soundtrack, while the clinician’s voice serves as a reassuring guide — helping the patient remain grounded in a safe therapeutic environment, even during the deepest moments of the experience. Each treatment session lasts approximately 40 minutes. After the infusion is complete, the patient is gradually brought out of the session and remains under observation by medical professionals until their condition has fully stabilized before returning to their normal daily activities. Ketamine-assisted therapy has demonstrated strong clinical effectiveness as a treatment for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It not only helps relieve acute symptoms but also supports the successful integration of therapeutic insights into patients‘ everyday lives. The RTW Foundation continues to build a nationwide network of specialists equipped to treat combat-related trauma, ensuring that high-quality care for veterans and service members is available not only in specialized centers, but across the country.

3 weeks ago

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, bringing the fallen home and restoring justice ...
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Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, bringing the fallen home and restoring justice for their loved ones often becomes a separate front line of its own — one that is largely invisible. Yet when a foreign volunteer gives their life defending Ukraine’s freedom, their family, thousands of miles away, is often confronted with a system that demands documents, confirmations, and legal decisions at the very moment they are experiencing the deepest grief of their lives. The families entrust us with memories, which take up permanent residence in our hearts. This work has taught us that even the smallest gestures — a simple message, a hand-drawn heart — can become lifelines. Ultimately, our work is not defined by the tasks we perform, but by the extraordinary honor of standing beside the strongest people during their most difficult chapters. As our caseload grows, so does our team. The immense work of the Next-Of-Kin Program is carried out by a remarkable team that, together, perform tasks that would normally require entire institutions — from accompanying family members, coordinating with banks to assist with account openings, to maintaining daily communication with pre-trial preparation for the courts, ministries, military units, and government agencies. Our team untangles layers of bureaucracy to fill the gaps that the government cannot. We navigate complex procedures for families so they are not alone. This work is complex, unpredictable, and rarely straightforward. For some cases, it begins with a phone call to another country; for others, with a request submitted to a government agency. For us, it always begins with a commitment: ensuring that no family is left alone to navigate an unfamiliar system. We maintain continuous communication between families, government institutions, notaries, military authorities, and every stakeholder involved in a case. In these circumstances, success depends not only on sharing information but also on preserving connections that can easily be lost across borders, languages, and bureaucratic processes.

1 month ago

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