The Wax Collection Continues!

20. 06. 2025

We launched the wax collection campaign over a month ago, on October 10, 2023. It began with more than two dozen written requests sent to parishes, scout groups, cemetery administrations, and other organizations. Despite a slow initial response, the campaign has been highly successful — to date, we’ve secured over one metric ton of wax, placing us well past the halfway mark toward our goal.

We’d like to express our heartfelt thanks to all donors. We will not specify the amount of wax each provided — while larger contributions get us closer to our goal faster, every donation is valuable.

When I first started making trench candles, my adult daughter told me she had read that such candles mostly serve to give volunteers a sense of usefulness, but that their actual benefit is minimal. However, through personal experience, she came to realize this isn’t true — they genuinely help. Every kilogram of wax is enough for about three trench candles, which can literally mean survival: heating food, warming up a trench or makeshift shelter, especially when it can be sealed and insulated. Most of us can hardly imagine what it’s like to spend both day and night outdoors in eastern Ukraine from October to April without a way to get warm.

Vasyl told me how they had delivered medicine to relieve pain and fever from colds. But the soldiers receiving treatment still needed water to stay hydrated. After being given the medication, they return to the front lines, where they lack access to drinking water, and their condition deteriorates due to dehydration.

We must address the cause, not just the symptoms. We must provide warmth, clothing, vitamins — so that the soldiers hopefully don’t get sick in the first place.

That’s exactly what our wax collection is about.

Here’s Our First Video from the Front

Soldiers show how the trench candle works in practice. We’ve added subtitles and music.

Special Thanks to Our Wax Donors:

Mr. Jaroslav Boušek from the parish of Kutná Hora — our very first wax donor. The wax he donated has already been turned into candles and delivered to the front. Thank you!
Ms. Zdislava Čepelková from the Regional Charity of Hradec Králové — for her amazing support and connections, which helped us meet new donors. Thank you!
Ms. Lída Hobzová from Prague — for her timely donation of wax that is now being used in the trenches, and for helping us reach additional donors. Thank you!
Mr. Jiří Brauner from Brno — who provided us with material for trench candle production from his own secured supplies. We will finish the candles and deliver them to Ukraine. Thank you!
Mr. Jiří Šárek from Prague — for donating wax from the collections of the Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Prague-Lhotka, and Ms. Němcová from the parish of Prague-Petrovice. Thank you both!
Ms. Bohdana Čechová from the Roman Catholic Parish of Kolín. Thank you!