Christmas Unites Us: A Warm Celebration Bringing Together Ukrainians in San Francisco
Under the title “Christmas Unites Us,” a festive Christmas and charity concert was held with great success in San Francisco, organized by the nonprofit Hromada in partnership with the talented performers of the band Vsiudysvoia and musician Orest Galitsky.
Guests traveled in from sunny Los Angeles to share the joy of Christ’s birth and treat the community to heartfelt carols, warm emotions, and a brand-new concert program. The evening felt just like a big family gathering — the way Ukrainians are used to celebrating Christmas: surrounded by friends, unity, and love.
The celebration took place at the welcoming Ukrainian Hall San Francisco, hosted by the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church. The hall filled with vibrant Ukrainian carols, performed brilliantly by Vsiudysvoia and accompanied by legendary guitarist Orest Galitsky. Fresh arrangements of traditional songs were a true gift for the audience and created a sense of real Christmas magic.
Guests didn’t just sing along and applaud the performers — they also enjoyed classic Ukrainian comfort food. Led by Nataliya Bankova, the kitchen team treated everyone to delicious varenyky — 400 dumplings made especially for the occasion.
The following volunteers contributed to creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere and preparing a delicious dinner for our guests: Alla Pogorelova, Natasha Shterngerts, Irina Hohlea, Yuliya Bacani, Olga Zherebchevska, Olga Anisimova, and Elena Pogorelova. Thanks to their collective efforts, every guest felt like a member of one large Ukrainian family.
Charity and hearts coming together
The concert program featured two sets with a charity auction in between. One of the standout items was a traditional motanka doll, donated by Anna Bozha from Lviv together with the Vsiudysvoia team, which sold for $400. In total, the event raised $3,005.08, part of which will support the “Stanislavsky Borshch” initiative.
The community especially warmly thanked Bohdan Andrukh for the joint performance with the artists,
Many thanks to Father Oleh Kapeshchuk and the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church parish for their hospitality and support.
The organizers extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the evening a success — the performers, volunteers, partners, and the parish that provided the venue. Special appreciation goes to Podiya Entertainment for professional sound and lighting, and to Andriy Shegera and Ihor Lutskyy for their outstanding technical support.
“Christmas Unites” became not only a cultural event, but also a symbol of unity among Ukrainians overseas. It showed that even far from their homeland, people can come together for a good, a shared cause.
May the generosity and kindness shown that night come back to everyone many times over. With faith, love, and hope, the San Francisco Ukrainian community welcomes 2026 with wishes for peace, joy, and, above all, victory for Ukraine !
