Common Grounds Community Center Project

A Place of Hope Rising in Ukraine

In February 2025, something meaningful began to take shape in Kam’yanka, Ukraine. Just across the street from Light of the Gospel Church, a large brick home—worn and in need of repair—was purchased with a vision far greater than its current condition. Where others might have seen a project, this community saw potential: a future gathering place where people could be cared for, valued, and served.

That vision became the Common Grounds Community Center.

The brown building is the Common Grounds building. The large white church is Light of the Gospel.

The dream is ambitious. With a total goal of $178,970, plans include restoring the home’s interior, building a welcoming coffee shop, furnishing gathering spaces, and ensuring reliable backup power. Just a few months later, in April 2025, that vision was shared across the ocean. Vadym Kulynchenko, a longtime partner with CDK, visited the U.S. to give a firsthand update on life in a war-torn country and to invite others into the story. People gathered not only to listen, but to respond—through prayer, through support, and even through handwritten cards filled with encouragement. Those cards would travel back to Ukraine, carrying reminders that this community is not alone.

the first signs of transformation

The new play area completed with a fun celebration is behind the Common Grounds Community Center brown brick building.

By September, the first signs of transformation were already visible. Outdoor spaces—including basketball and pickleball courts, lighting, and seating—were completed and quickly put to use. In a place deeply affected by war, Common Grounds became something rare: a neutral, welcoming space where relationships could grow. It offered an open door to people who might never step inside a church, yet were searching for connection, support, and hope.

Vadym shared a powerful perspective that captures the heart of it all: “When Ukrainian believers do the work of the ministry, they don’t just see destruction—they see restoration. They don’t see chaos—they see order. Not hatred, but love. Not despair, but hope.”

the work continues

Even in uncertainty, today the work continues—serving families, training leaders, delivering aid, and building spaces that reflect faith in action. And those handwritten cards from April?

Cards that were made in Illinois April of 2024 hang as encouragement.

They now hang on the walls of the community room, a daily reminder that support and prayers stretch far beyond borders.

This story is still being written. As the outdoor space has encouraged and provided a peaceful place of restoration, the focus now is to complete the indoor space to better serve these precious people in the cold months as well. 

Another gathering is planned for April 2026 in central Illinois—a chance to reconnect, hear updates, and continue standing with this resilient community. Because what’s happening in Kam’yanka is more than a building project.

It’s a place of hope rising—one step, one prayer, and one act of love at a time.