When I woke up this morning the first thing I thought about was the war in Ukraine. How did the people in Ukraine fare during the night? Did they get enough sleep? Were they warm enough? Do they have enough food and water? All week I have been thinking about how I can contribute and help them. I've read the inspirational stories of men filling vans and driving to the Polish border to drop off supplies, and about the two boys in Tallinn who spent their pocket money to buy canned food to donate. So far Estonian citizens have donated almost €6 million to Ukraine. This is great for a country with a population of 1.3 million.
All major international charities are collecting donations for Ukraine right now, but I have been looking for an organsation where I know the funds and supplies will get there quickly. Something Ukrainian. I scoured the internet and found that my local Ukrainian Catholic church has become a collection point and they have been arranging trucks to drive supplies directly to the Ukraine border. They have been calling out for medical supplies, blankets, sleeping bags, portable mattresses, long life food etc. I was only too happy to help!
When I arrived at the church to drop off the donations I was informed that they had to move to new premises due to running out of space. Donations were flooding in. I was re-routed and arrived at the new location which was a warehouse style building with a large truck to the right in a loading bay, ready to leave as soon as it was full. People were walking into the building every few seconds carrying bags and boxes of goods. When I entered the building it was a hive of activity, there were 30-40 volunteers sorting through donations and packing them for the truck. It was a great to see so many people from the local community coming together during this time of need.
There are many ways we can help the people of Ukraine, either from dropping off supplies like I did yesterday or via a monetary donation. Here are three places to consider:
To support the Ukrainian military directly, you can donate to Army SOS. They buy the supplies the army needs (including things like radio sets, uniforms, supplies and ammunition) and promises to deliver them straight to the front lines. Website: https://armysos.com.ua/en/
You can also donate to the Ukrainian army via a special fund set up by the National Bank of Ukraine. Website: Ukraine’s Armed Forces account
Come Back Alive is a foundation set up to support the Ukrainian military by purchasing essential equipment like body armour and helmets. You can donate to them directly here: https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/