Wikipedia

Draft:Bird of Light

Bird of Light
ГО «Птаха Світла Україна»
Founded2022 (Ukraine)
FounderZhanna Galeyeva; Isaac Yeung
Founded atChernivtsi, Ukraine
TypeNonprofit charitable organization
Legal status501(c)(3) public charity (U.S.); registered charity (Ukraine)
PurposeHumanitarian aid; child welfare; water infrastructure; cultural advocacy
HeadquartersChernivtsi, Ukraine; New York City, United States
Region served
Ukraine
Websitewww.birdoflightukraine.org

Bird of Light is a paired charitable initiative comprising Bird of Light Ukraine, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization based in Chernivtsi, and the New York–registered Bird of Light Foundation Inc. (a 501(c)(3) public charity). The organizations coordinate humanitarian relief and longer-term projects in Ukraine, including child welfare programs, medical support, and water-infrastructure repair, and have organized...public-facing cultural and advocacy projects in the United States and abroad, including installations in New York and Tokyo.[1][2][3][4][5]

History

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Bird of Light Ukraine was founded in early 2022 during the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Coverage in The Washington Post profiled co-founder and CEO Zhanna Galeyeva and described the initiative’s rapid pivot from personal travel to organizing aid distribution through Chernivtsi’s hubs, sourcing medical and food supplies and coordinating logistics with local partners.[3] The U.S. arm, Bird of Light Foundation Inc., subsequently obtained federal tax-exempt status as a public charity.[4][5]

Programs and activities

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Humanitarian aid and medical support

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In 2022 the group focused on emergency food and hygiene supplies and medical kits, later supporting deliveries of medical equipment through partnerships and private donors, as reported in contemporary coverage.[3]

Water security and infrastructure

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From 2023–2025 Bird of Light Ukraine coordinated well drilling, water-main repairs, installation of storage tanks, and targeted water deliveries in areas affected by infrastructure damage, including hospitals and villages in Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.[6]

Child welfare

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The organization has backed psychosocial support for children in institutional care, assistance for orphans and internally displaced families, and public awareness efforts on the abduction and unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children.[7]

Advocacy and cultural projects

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Bird of Light has organized and supported public art initiatives to draw attention to the war’s impact on children and culture:

  • Empty Beds (2024), a large outdoor photo installation by Phil Buehler in Manhattan’s Little Ukraine, received international coverage highlighting its commemoration of abducted Ukrainian children.[8]
  • In February 2025, Empty Beds was presented in Tokyo to mark three years since the full-scale invasion, with coverage by Japanese national and local media.[9][10][11][12]
  • In 2024 the participatory portrait project A Portrait from the People was presented at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City; the work is listed in the event’s official art archive.[13]
  • Protests at New York’s Lincoln Center in April 2024, surrounding the Youth America Grand Prix’s gala that initially included Mariinsky Theatre dancers, were covered by The New York Times; following the demonstrations, the dancers were removed from the gala program.[14]
  • In 2024 the Fashion 4 Ukraine benefit during New York Fashion Week named Bird of Light Foundation as beneficiary in event announcements and post-event coverage.[15]

Organization

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Bird of Light Ukraine is legally registered in Ukraine as a charitable organization under the name ГО «Птаха Світла Україна» (registration number ЄДРПОУ 44733394).[a] Bird of Light Foundation Inc. is recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 93-4194744).[4][5]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Registration extract on file with the organization (Ukrainian).

References

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  1. ^ "Empty Beds exhibit held in Tokyo (in Japanese)". NHK (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  2. ^ "Coverage of Empty Beds in Tokyo (in Japanese)". 産経ニュース (Sankei News) (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Huang, Robyn (April 7, 2022). "She visited Ukraine to reconnect with her dad. Now she's deploying aid". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Bird Of Light Foundation Inc — Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Bird of Light Foundation Inc (EIN 93-4194744)". Candid. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Programs overview". Bird of Light Ukraine. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  7. ^ "Empty Beds: a mural highlights the abduction of Ukrainian children". The Guardian. October 28, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  8. ^ "Empty Beds: a mural highlights the abduction of Ukrainian children". The Guardian. October 28, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "Empty Beds exhibit held in Tokyo (in Japanese)". NHK (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  10. ^ "Coverage of Empty Beds in Tokyo (in Japanese)". NHK首都圏 (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  11. ^ "Coverage of Empty Beds in Tokyo (in Japanese)". 47NEWS (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  12. ^ "Coverage of Empty Beds in Tokyo (in Japanese)". 産経ニュース (Sankei News) (in Japanese). February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  13. ^ "2024 Art Installations — A Portrait from the People". Burning Man Project. 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  14. ^ Kourlas, Gia (April 19, 2024). "Mariinsky Dancers Barred From New York Gala After Protests". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  15. ^ "Fashion 4 Ukraine Premieres Designers and Models for Fashion Week Show Debut at Tribeca's Mriya Gallery". Yahoo Finance. September 6, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
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