CalvaryMac College-Aged Students: Serving in Ukraine and Romania

On February 24th, 2022, Ukraine was invaded by Russia causing a wave of over four million refugees into Europe. Almost a million came through Romania, some waiting up to five days in the freezing snow with all their worldly possessions stowed in a single suitcase. The biggest influx of Ukrainians has come to an end, but the bigger problem still persists: lack of food, orphans being trafficked, housing and more.

Romania + Ukraine

CalvaryMac college-aged students are flying to one of the world’s most hospitable countries to spend time serving both Romanian locals and Ukrainian refugees.

Join us as we play with Ukrainian orphans, renovate buildings, purchase, pack and deliver food for families still in Ukraine* and many other opportunities of service.

Unlike our standard trips which are planned down to the minute six months in advance, each team member on this trip will need to be flexible, patient and willing to jump into activities which could come up at a moment’s notice. As this is a fluid and constantly evolving situation, what we have planned today will most likely be changed by the time we land in July. For instance, when our first team purchased airline tickets to Romania in April, there were 12,000 refugees crossing their border per day. By the time we landed, it was less than 50 and our plans had to complete change.

This trip is exclusively available to college-aged students attending CalvaryMac regularly.

Trip cost is $3,500. We require 50% two months before leaving (by May 1st) to purchase your plane ticket, and the remainder is due two weeks before our trip (June 15th). To pay, use the fundraiser option, or please send a check to: 501 Collective, 333 S State St, Ste V-171, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

To start your trip process, please fill out the “Trip Application” button above, and if you’d like to fundraise, click the “Start a Fundraiser” button. Let your friends and family know all financial donations made through your link are tax-deductible.

Click here for stories and photos from our recent trips.

Our trips leaves PDX on July 2nd; after flights and time changes, we'll land in Suceava, Romania around 11p the next day, July 3rd. Throughout our trip we'll be serving in various capacities, and on the last day we should have time to explore Bucharest. 501 Collective has rented local housing for our team, and we'll have a dedicated bus and driver. Breakfasts will be at the house, lunch is usually packed or at a refugee center and dinners will be at home or local restaurants. If you're willing and able to help with construction, feel free to bring tools, work gloves, glasses, etc. We'll have more specific packing information as the trip gets closer.


Here’s our recommended packing list.

*Any trips to deliver food into Ukraine is 100% optional and there will be Romanian-based activities those days as an option if you decide not to go. Safety is our #1 priority and we will not allow any team members into Ukraine if we feel the situation has changed; otherwise, the times we’ve been in have been incredibly eye-opening as to how safe and ‘normal’ life is outside of the war zone within Ukraine.


July 2 - 19, 2023
$3,500