PHASE I
Founded 1993 by Don Miller, retired pastor and seminary administrator, as a humanitarian outreach to the poor, weak, and marginalized in the founder’s ancestral villages in the Zhytomyr Oblast region. Twelve workers helped to distribute food and hope in their villages under the direction of Galina Bidenko, National Director. With the purchase of a building, Vygoda became the first “home” of SMU.
A medical clinic was established by Olga Propochuk and continues to meet the needs in rural communities.
PHASE II
After Alex Brzhezitskyy became National Director in 2001, SMU entered into a partnership with Victory Church operating an addiction recovery ministry in the Vyhoda building and offering training in welding on the premises. (Over the next two decades, SMU partnered with a number of other organizations, both giving them needed support as they began ministries and thereby extending our reach into the community.)
PHASE III
In 2007, both the Pulyny Widows’ Home and Community Center and the Korosten Shelter were built, providing safe and caring communities for elder widows. Nadiya Siryk became director of the Pulyny center and Slav and Tatiana Yukhymets became the caregivers in Korsten.
PHASE IV
Under Nadiya Siryk’s leadership, The Community Center in Pulyny is reached many children, youth and adults with training, assistance, and spiritual nurture.
Vika Brzhezytska established the Life Skills Center in SMU’s newly purchased building in 2018.
PHASE V
Property was purchased and remodeled to become Vygoda Community Center.
In 2019, Nadiya Siryk became National Director. Svitlana and Misha Petrenchuk became leaders of the Vygoda Community Center in 2022. The Zhytomyr Center was reopened in 2023 under the leadership of Psychologist Iryna Borova.
Since the war began in 2022, ministry opportunities and outreach have dramatically increased.