From May 22 to 24, 2025, near Kovel, on the territory of the “Unity” complex, a three-day retreat for veterans and their families was held, organized by the public organization “Gesture of Support”. The event was held under the slogan “Strength in Unity” and became a space for deep recovery, support, and family rapprochement in times of war.

Veterans, their wives, and children took part in the retreat. The program was structured in such a way that each participant could not only relax, but also go through the practices of emotional healing and restoring trust in the family. For the first time, active servicemen of the 6th Lutsk Border Detachment were involved in the project, who conducted unique therapeutic formats:

Theater therapy with Pavlo Porytsky helped participants work through deep emotions through improvisation, bodily expression, and role-playing scenes;

Clay therapy with Viktor Dudko provided a sense of grounding and inner stability through working with natural material;

A wickerwork master class by Serhiy Izay became a symbol of renewal, unity of generations, and joint creativity.

Additionally, participants joined art therapy, talked with the chaplain about building healthy relationships, painted socks, sang by the fire, participated in team games, table tennis, and a fishing tournament, which became a real hit of the retreat.

Family as a support

Special attention was paid to marital relationships. A romantic evening for husbands and their wives was extremely warm — with music, candles, and words of support. It was an opportunity to remember where it all began and reconnect after long separations and life's trials.

While the parents were busy with the recovery, the children had a separate program with creative workshops, games and animations, so that everyone in the family would receive their portion of care and warmth.

Plans for the summer and autumn

According to Yaroslav Kotylko, head of the NGO "Gesture of Support", the event became another step in the organization's systematic work on supporting veterans, their families and all those who suffered from the war:

"Our goal is not just to help, but to create a space of understanding and support, where every person feels heard, accepted and valued."

In the near future, the organization will hold a social and rehabilitation holiday for people with disabilities, in particular with musculoskeletal disorders, vision and hearing impairments.

In August, a retreat for children of fallen soldiers will be held in Volyn, and

In September, the fourth retreat for military families.

Also, free Ukrainian Sign Language courses will start in the fall for all interested parties, including volunteers, educators, military personnel, and social workers.

In addition, every month the NGO "Gesture of Support" holds thematic events for military personnel: from cultural events to trainings, psychological assistance, and sports initiatives.