Prague is calling for candle donations to warm Ukraine for a third winter

The Czech Skaut organization, in association with the district of Prague 7, has announced it will run another round of its Light and Heat collection to aid people in Ukraine.

The annual events see the organization collecting donations of candles and sending them to war-torn Ukraine to assist people in keeping warm and making food. The candles help in places with interrupted electricity or a lack of fuel.

With the country already experiencing its third winter of the war, the scouts are calling on the public to participate in the Light and Heat nationwide event. In Ukraine, especially along the front line, people must cope with the winter without electricity and heating as Russian attacks destroy infrastructure, and places where the firewood was once collected, are often mined.

“A candle in a can is a small but useful helper. It burns for long hours and can heat the entire room. Food or frozen hands or feet can be warmed over it, it is used for lighting," said Skaut spokeswoman Barbora Trojak. Last year, the group made and delivered over 15,000 candles.

The charity organization says it will help Czech districts organize upcoming candle workshops and encourages members of the public to attend them. Last year, people made and sent around 15,000 candles during the collection.

The main warehouse for this year’s candle creation and collection is at the corner of the Jankovcova and Přívozní streets in Holešovice. It is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. It will run until around mid-March.

The Skaut organization also provides a continuously updated map of collection points where you can bring finished candles. It shows public workshops where you can come and help with candle making.

The group's website provides detailed instructions on making candles and offers posters and graphic design material to help promote the workshops. The public can also make candles at home with family, friends, colleagues, etc., and send them to Skaut.

Financial support can also be given to the candle-inspired cause online at the donations website Znesnáze21.