A meeting in Lutsk marks the anniversary of the LOVE DOES Boutique project
A meeting dedicated to the anniversary of the LOVE DOES Boutique project took place at the Lutsk Business Hub. The project is implemented at the Lutsk Clinical Maternity Hospital by the Life POLSKA Foundation together with their American partners. It provides psychological and material assistance to pregnant women and new mothers.
“The Life POLSKA Foundation has been cooperating with the maternity hospital since the end of 2022. Those were difficult times — travelling to Ukraine under bombardment, especially for the project’s volunteers, who are mostly gentle and brave women, required great endurance and moral strength. In 2024, the American project LOVE DOES Boutique, headquartered in San Diego, joined the initiative. Its members provide assistance to pregnant women in countries affected by war,” said Serhii Siabruk, Head of the Maternity Department of the Lutsk City Territorial Community Medical Association.
"At that time, the project had not yet been implemented in Europe, and the Lutsk Clinical Maternity Hospital became the first location for it. Within the project, pregnant women – primarily internally displaced persons, wives of fallen soldiers, or women whose husbands are currently defending the country, as well as other registered patients, visit the Boutique once a month."
The Boutique is a place where expectant mothers can receive free gifts for themselves and their newborns – such as clothing for mothers and babies, hygiene products, diapers, toys, and educational literature. In addition, participants attend monthly workshops, practical seminars, and themed masterclasses related to childbirth and parenting.
The anniversary meeting gathered both expectant mothers and those who had already given birth and came with their babies. The event was also attended by maternity hospital staff, representatives of the city’s healthcare department and medical association, and members of the Life POLSKA Foundation – Managing Director Anne-Maria Vanldagendonk and Maria Hryb, Coordinator of International Projects.
After the main celebration, guests took part in a raffle, pilates and sound therapy sessions, created a Joint Gratitude Map, and received gifts from the Boutique.
Department of informational work,
Department of International Cooperation and Project Activities