On the Ground with Volunteers in the War-Torn Cities of Ukraine
Over a year after Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, the need for food and basic supplies to support life is just as desperate as it was at the very beginning.
Attacks are intensifying in certain parts of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people are living in cramped quarters in shelters or with host families. Many of them experience frequent power outages, bomb threats and attacks, and scarcity of a variety of resources. Bombings happen at all hours of the day and night, and they often target power supply plants and other important infrastructure, making it harder for the affected population to survive. The Ukrainian people and their pets are still in desperate need of your help!
However, despite all of this, there are signs of hope, including several areas of Ukraine that have been liberated within the last few months. The small city of Snigirevka, in the Mykolaiv region, for example, was occupied by Russian forces for a full nine months, but it has recently been liberated.
12,000 people again have control of their own city and their own lives. Many are returning after evacuations and beginning to rebuild their bombed buildings and bury their dead. The win was an important one for Ukraine. Nina Yevtushenko, our on-the-ground representative in Ukraine, reports that the city contains a railway junction and an important foothold at the banks of the Ingulets River, assets the Russians will sorely miss.
Another ray of hope in this cloud of darkness is all the volunteer assistance and donations from people around the world. Volunteers of all conceivable nationalities have given up weeks and even months of their time to live in dangerous territories and help feed the hungry, and donors from across the planet are supporting organizations like ours to help donate hot meals, food ration boxes, blankets, toys for children, pet food, and more. GreaterGood, with our non-profit partner, Greater Good Charities, is dedicated to continuing to support Ukraine as it fights for its freedom.
According to Yevtushenko, the hope is to distribute 1,000 boxes of food and supplies and 2,000 blankets within the month of March. We will also distribute pet food to people with pets and medical kits to areas that need them.
[video width="480" height="848" mp4="https://cmshub.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VIDEO-2023-03-16-04-38-44.mp4"][/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RRvfLdwRFA
Our partner, Siobhan's Trust, is helping to fight hunger in Ukraine by distributing hundreds of pizzas and other food items per day to people in need. They've recently been in the Kirovohrad region, a less populous region that has been largely forgotten in the midst of the fighting which has therefore experienced supply-chain issues. Soon, Siobhan's Trust and its volunteers will be traveling to their next stops -- the Nikolaev and Kherson regions, which lie in the southern part of Ukraine. They were recently liberated and lie roughly 20 kilometers from current Russian-controlled territory.
Your ongoing support is critical. Please donate today to help us continue to send aid to the people of Ukraine!
Elizabeth Morey graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI, where she dual majored in English Literature and Spanish with minors in Writing and Business Administration. She was a member of the school's Insignis Honors Society and the president of the literary honors society Lambda Iota Tau.
Some of Elizabeth's special interests include Spanish and English linguistics, modern grammar and spelling, and journalism. She has been writing professionally for more than five years and specializes in health topics such as breast cancer, autism, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Apart from her work at GreaterGood, she has also written art and culture articles for the Grand Rapids Magazine.
Elizabeth has lived in the beautiful Great Lakes State for most of her life but also loves to travel. She currently resides a short drive away from the dazzling shores of Lake Michigan with her beloved husband.