Stories from the artisans in Ukraine by Jessica Ellerbrock
“This Saturday we’re having a party to celebrate life.”
I could not stop thinking about that sentence.
It came after messages about missiles, shattered windows, and sleeping in the metro during attacks in Ukraine.
One of the women from the Love Welcomes artisan community had the windows blown out of her apartment. Another did not know if there would still be a home to return to the next morning.
And yet somehow, in the middle of fear and exhaustion, they decided to gather together and celebrate life.
That feels important to say out loud right now.
Because sometimes when we talk about war, refugees, or displacement, people become reduced to tragedy. To headlines. To statistics. To suffering.
A woman stands outside of an apartment building after the night attack on Kyiv, Ukraine. Anton Shtuka for NPR - June 2, 2026
But these women are not only surviving war.
They are still human beings trying to live.
Trying to laugh with friends.
Trying to support one another.
Trying to create beauty.
Trying to find moments of normalcy and connection inside something profoundly abnormal.
I think that is part of what courage really looks like.
Not perfection. Not fearlessness. Just continuing.
Continuing to create. Continuing to hope. Continuing to gather around a table after devastation and choosing, even for a few hours, joy over despair.
This Refugee Week, Love Welcomes is launching Courage to Carry, a campaign created in collaboration with women artisans connected to Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, and Thailand.
The collection supports women rebuilding through conflict, displacement, and instability through employment, creativity, and community. Every purchase helps support the women behind the work and the ongoing programs Love Welcomes provides.
SHOP COURAGE TO CARRY COLLECTION
But the deeper truth behind this campaign is not just about products.
It is about remembering our shared humanity.
The human need to create.
To feel dignity.
To support family.
To belong.
To celebrate life even when the world feels uncertain.
One of the women wrote:
“Buying our products is the best possible support.”
So this Refugee Week, maybe support can look like more than awareness.
Maybe it can look like helping someone continue.
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Continue working.
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Continue rebuilding.
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Continue creating.
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Continue celebrating life despite everything.
And maybe that is something worth carrying forward.
To support the Courage to Carry campaign or learn more about Love Welcomes, visit:
Love Welcomes