What is happening in Ukraine is horrific and gut-wrenching. And we have no idea what's yet to come. As of 2019, Fredericksburg has 231 residents with Ukrainian ancestry. We hope and pray their families are safe. If you, like me, are looking for something tangible you can do to help the people of Ukraine, here are a few suggestions:
I think I must acknowledge what it is on all our minds. What is happening in Ukraine is horrific and gut-wrenching to watch. And we have no idea what's yet to come. A resolution in support of Ukraine will come before City Council on Tuesday, March 8th (click here to see the resolution), but that is hardly enough. As of 2019 (our last data on this point), Fredericksburg has 231 residents with Ukrainian ancestry. We hope and pray their families are safe. If you, like me, are looking for something tangible you can do to help the people of Ukraine, here are a few suggestions:
Airlink is a nonprofit that works with aviation and logistics partners to transport relief workers and emergency supplies for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the region.
Direct Relief is working directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and other partners in the region to provide requested medical aid while preparing to offer longer-term medical aid to people displaced or affected by the conflict.
Save the Children: Over the past year, Save the Children prepared for escalating conflict in Ukraine by helping local organizations stock up on hygiene kits and winter clothes. Since the Russian invasion, it has helped distribute those supplies and provided protective services for unaccompanied minors who are fleeing the country.
Doctors Without Borders is working to set up emergency response activities in Ukraine and dispatching teams to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Teams are also ready to respond in Russia and Belarus. In the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, teams have distributed medical kits to treat war-wounded people. The charity has also provided telemedicine training for trauma care for 30 surgeons from eastern Ukraine.
There are many other worthy organizations on the ground in Ukraine and its bordering countries, some of which you can find here.
