April 8, 2022

I step foot into a war-torn country for the first time.

 

As I mentioned in my last post, I never envisioned going into Ukraine during this trip. I didn't know how dangerous it would be, nor what I would do in the country as a volunteer. However, Lifting Hands International recommended Vasily, coordinator of shipments of food and supplies for Caritas-Ukraine, as someone who might be able to use my services.

In previous posts I related how I purchased two shipments of food and delivered them to warehouses in Poland where they would then be picked up and delivered to a warehouse in Ukraine. Vasily invited me to come to Ukraine to see how the food that I donated would make its way into the hands of the residents of shelters. That was an invitation that I couldn't pass up. He assured me that the western region of Poland is the safest because of its proximity to Poland, a member of the European Union and NATO.

The cities and villages on the Ukrainian side look virtually identical to those in Poland except for two things: the signs which are written in Ukrainian and the presence of the military throughout the area. 

After eating lunch in one of the towns, we noticed large groups of people standing quietly on the sidewalks, with candles in glass containers placed at their feet. We learned that one of the young men from their town was killed in the war, and his body would soon be transported in a van through the town to the church. 

Before long, we heard a siren as the van passed by, everyone including me, we all knelt on the sidewalk to honor the fallen soldier. It was an incredibly sad, solemn, and heartbreaking display of respect to the young soldier who sacrificed his life for the sake of his country and his town.

I was treated as an honored guest by Vasily, Alex and Natalie and given a private tour of three shelters located in local schools. The schools instituted online learning, and the facilities were converted to shelters, housing residents from the most heavily bombarded and damaged cities in Ukraine. In one room a group of women were sitting and talking to each other. The director told me that they were the wives of soldiers killed in the initial attack.

I was told that the school staff are all helping to run the shelters, working in shifts of 10 days while also teaching their students online. Meals are cooked in the kitchens by volunteer residents of the city. Natalie told me that in addition to these shelters, small groups of families have formed neighborhood support groups and taken in the internally displaced families and offered rooms, food, and other services. It was incredibly moving to hear how people have come together spontaneously to help the ones most traumatized by the war.

We delivered the food that I bought from my first shopping visit. I was very pleased to see that the cans of food that I loaded into my car made its way to the final destination. Not too many donors can experience the journey of the food from beginning to the end.

Vasily had suggested that I bring some breakfast sausages and candy for the children. I'm glad I did because the lollipops were an icebreaker and a big hit with the children. 

 

Shortly after this photo was taken, all the children yelled out, "Thank you!"

The young girls were particularly friendly and eager to have their photos taken with me.

The third shelter housed children with neurological disorders, and we were not allowed to take photos as the children would be frightened. Most of the children were orphans who had been evacuated from their orphanages when their cities were destroyed. We were taken into a small room where 16 two-to three-year old children were taking naps, each in their own little beds. Of course, most of them woke up when we entered the room and began talking to us. I have never seen sixteen children more adorable than this group. They brought tears to my eyes.

All the staff and volunteers that I met today expressed their gratitude over and over again. It was satisfying to know that your donations and support make a big difference to those on the front lines.

As we were leaving the third shelter, the director made a remark about the clothes hanging on a clothesline and that they had a washing machine but no dryer. She said that it was challenging to do laundry for so many children without a dryer. So, I immediately told her that I would donate one and work with Vasily to order it and have it installed for them. I will work with Type of Wood Charities to have it funded out of my GoFundMe campaign. 

This is the director and head nurse of the third shelter that we visited, along with Natalie (on the right) and me.

Back at the warehouse, I observed two big rigs loaded with food and other supplies depart for their dangerous trips to Mariupol and eastern Ukraine. I had been warned to be careful of scam artists who receive food donations during a crisis and then sell the food on the black market. I can assure you that Caritas-Ukraine is a legitimate organization. They take videos at every stage of the donation process and send them to the donors to verify how the food was distributed. Caritas-Ukraine is in desperate need of dry food, medicine, hygiene products and supplies for babies.  If you are looking for additional ways to support Ukrainians during the war, go to https://www.caritas.org/where-caritas-work/europe/ukraine/

How did this relief effort for the victims of this war begin? It's a very interesting story of how Vasily, a Ukrainian resident of the United States was in Ukraine when the war broke out and was trapped when the borders were closed to men. I will share that story in the next post.