Helping Ukraine and Ukrainians

[WszystekPoTrochu]

Hi,

As you may remember, Ukraine is my direct neighbour. We are very concerned with what's happening on murderous regime's orders and have started organizing all kinds of help immediately. Help is very much needed. Number of refugees crossing Polish border is already in six digits. Number of civilians that can't or won't leave their homes, but need immediate help is even higher.

Every school, every parish, every local authority is already engaged in this way or another. Food, clothing, sleeping bags, diapers, medical supplies are gathered and sent to the war zone or gathered to address the needs of the refugees. The scale of the whole thing is hard to grasp. People are driving with private cars to the border to take the refugees to their own home or to wherever they know they'll be accepted. Food and clothing are carried to collection points in amounts so big, that many ran out of cardboard boxes in a matter of hours. Financial aid is also flowing. The solidarity is really great here.

The needs of the victims are also great. And grave. If you wish to help the Ukrainian people but don't yet know how, or you'd wish help me helping, I'll be very happy to answer. If you'd wish to send money but don't know where, I'll find a proper foundation. If you'd like to send a sleeping bag or a bag of rice, I'll provide an address. If you live a driving distance from me and would take a mother with a child under your roof, I'll drive them or find a transport.

Any help counts.


I'll log in and visit this forum every day. The way this forum is built, I won't leave my mobile number nor email in this post. I'll happily share it via private messages though.

God bless,
Mikołaj

[bob winter]

I am donating to the Canadian Red Cross fund for Ukraine. The Canadian government is matching donations up to ten million. That is about all I can do at the moment. I really hope this whole comes back to bite Putin in the ass.

[lupussonic]

PM sent.. good on you for organising and mobilising.

Martin.

[LeeG]

Thank you

[sonofswen]

[StevenBauer]

Cont:

Charities that preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage

• Parkhomivka Museum: The museum, located in a small village in eastern Kharkiv Oblast, is an 18th-century villa that offers a permanent collection of exhibits by artists as iconic as Picasso, Malevich & Manet. You can support it by coming & buying a ticket.
• Save Kyiv Modernism: Is a movement that unites architects, designers and activists who advocate for the protection of the remarkable Soviet modernist structures across Ukraine.
• FrankivskToCareAbout: Is a movement for the preservation of architectural heritage in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Founded in 2016, the initiative renovates old wooden doors of the city's ancient buildings.

Charities helping with covid

• Svoyi: Svoyi gives free oxygen concentrators to people who contracted COVID & can’t be hospitalized due to personal circumstances or when hospitals are overflowing. It also helps those discharged too early in favour of patients in more serious conditions.
• Monsters, Inc.: This organization is based in Odesa and provides emergency medical aid to people living in the region. They also help COVID hospitals, procuring medicines and equipment..

[StevenBauer]

Great thread, Mikolaj, thanks.

I found this on the web, too:

I posted this as a comment in another thread but since so many people are asking how they can support Ukraine, I thought I would make this a separate post. The Kyiv Independent recently did a spotlight on many different charities across Ukraine. I'll list the charities they mentioned by subject. All text/copy that you see below was written by the Kyiv Independent journalists.
Mods: I am not affiliated with the Kyiv Independent or any of the charities mentioned below. I do not financially profit from any contributions made to the Kyiv Independent or any of these charities. I just saw that a lot of people are wanting to help Ukrainians so I just want to share a resource list on how to do so:
Charities that help the war effort

• Save Life: This NGO crowdfunds non-lethal military equipment, such as thermal vision scopes & supplies it to the Donbas front lines. It also provides training for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as researching troops’ needs and social reintegration of veterans.
• Donbas SOS: This organization helps those who live in the Donbas war zone, those who relocated to other parts of Ukraine, and freed prisoners of war. It offers legal support, accommodation assistance, and psychological aid among other things.
• Crimea SOS: This organization has been helping internally displaced people from Crimea since Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014. It documents Russian authorities' repressions against Crimeans and advocates for the end of the occupation.
• Hospitallers : This is a medical battalion that unites volunteer paramedics and doctors to save the lives of soldiers on the frontline. They crowdfund their vehicle repairs, fuel, and medical equipment.

Charities that help children

• Tabletochki: This foundation has been supporting children with cancer for 10 years. They procure medicines, equipment, and arrange overseas treatment, among other things.
• ChildrenWeWillMakeIt: This movement grew out of a campaign that raised $2 million to get the world's most expensive medicine for a Ukrainian boy with spinal muscular atrophy. It now fundraises for the treatment of other Ukrainian children with SMA.
• Ruka ob Ruku: This is a running club for children with disabilities. The initiative gives children an opportunity to train and take part in races together with their parents and volunteers.

Charities for the elderly

• Happy Old: This charity provides older people across Ukraine with groceries and medicine, holds educational, entertainment, and sports events, as well as helps with employment. They even created a modeling agency for the elderly.
• Let's Help: This charity cares for older people living alone and helps state retirement homes. They also advocate for better treatment of older people by the state, including providing people aged 60+ with easy access to education.
• Starenki: It’s a charitable initiative devoted to issues of old age in Ukraine. They help lonely seniors by providing them with groceries and hygiene products.

Charities that help women

• Women Perspectives: This organization has been helping women who have faced domestic violence, discrimination in the labor market, and other issues. The NGO works with local and state authorities to promote pro-equality gender policies in Ukraine.
• Marsh Zhinok (Women’s March): Every year, on March 8, this initiative holds a rally promoting gender equality and the protection of women from gender-based violence. Currently, the organization is petitioning for Ukraine to adopt the Istanbul Convention.

Charities for blood donation

• Blood Agents: It is an NGO that promotes regular, conscious and gratuitous blood donations. They have encouraged people to donate blood over 5,000 times over the past six years.
• Donor UA: It is an automated system for recruiting and managing blood donors, designed to promote the donor movement in Ukraine. You can help by signing up and donating blood or by supporting the project with money donation.

Charities for animals

• Sirius: Is the largest shelter for stray animals in Ukraine established in 2000. Its capacity is over 3,000 animals. The institution crowdfunds for animal feed, veterinary drugs, construction and repair of enclosures, and other needs.
• Happy Paw: Is a charity dedicated to solving the problems of homeless animals in Ukraine. The charity helps owners find lost animals, sterilizes domestic animals of people in need & holds lectures on humane treatment of homeless animals for schoolchildren.
• UAnimals: Is a movement for protecting animals from exploitation & abuse. The organization managed to achieve a ban on animal circuses & persuaded many designers participating in Ukrainian Fashion Week to abandon natural fur.

Charities for the environment

• Ukraine Without Waste: It is a Ukrainian non-profit promoting the practice of sorting household waste. They educate companies on how to go green at their offices, and hold lectures for the wider public.
• Laska: It’s a chain of two charity stores in Kyiv that promote conscious shopping. They accept donated clothes, resell 15% of them, and send the rest to orphanages, homes for the elderly and centers for people with disabilities.

Charities for the homeless

• Help the homeless: This initiative supports homeless people & the elderly in need, by providing them with free meals, medicine, hygiene products, clothes & shoes. Launched by a group of volunteers in 2016, the organization has been relying on crowdfunding.
• Suka Zhizn: This organization grew big from a 2017 Instagram account launched to tell stories of homeless people. Now volunteers provide various support to the homeless: employment, sorting out documents, searching for relatives & legal counseling.

Charities for investigative journalism

• Slidstvo: Is an independent agency launched in 2012 that produces award-winning documentaries exposing corruption. They have investigated mismanagement of prisons, fraud, money laundering at PrivatBank & the assassination of journalist Sheremet.
• UKRPravda News: Founded in 2000 by Gongadze, a prominent journalist who was killed the same year, this publication is among the most influential in Ukraine. The reporters break political scoops and unmask officials who abuse their power.
• Zaborona Media: This is an independent media outlet founded by journalists. They investigate topics such as violations of Ukrainian workers’ rights in the Middle East, arms trafficking, and corruption in

[ron ll]

Many thanks Mikilaj, nice to have someone we know and can trust on that end to see help gets to where it needs to be.

[David G]

More lists of suggested charities --

https://www.yahoo.com/news/5-verifie...185109710.html

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/l...scams/2983861/

And, as always, the charity ratings site --

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ind...search.results

[bamamick]

Thank you, Mikolaj. This needs to be pinned!

Mickey Lake

[skuthorp]

seconded

[WszystekPoTrochu]

I'll add three to the list of trustworthy charities:

Polish Humanitarian Action:
https://www.pah.org.pl/en/donate/?form=ukraine

Order of Malta:
https://orderofmaltarelief.org (US)
https://www.malteser-international.o...e/ukraine.html (DACH)

Caritas Intl:
https://www.caritas.org/ukraine-appeal-22/




Putin threatens to cut Ukraine off from foreign aid using military means. This wouldn't be the first on his war crime bingo, so I see the threat as credible.
This means that any help that is to be sent across the border is under ever increasing time pressure. We do not know if and when all we'll be able to do is help the already displaced abroad and send money to Ukraine hoping they still have where to buy what is necessary to endure.


I've heard that my workplace will transform some office space into refugee camps. Most of it was unused since the first lockdown anyway. I had no idea we have showers in the office

[George.]

The Bilge at its best!

[birlinn]

Donation made.
Thanks for the info, Mikolaj.

[George.]

We need a pin.

[Canoez]

Done!

[lupussonic]

I am organising a drive to the border of Ukraine and Poland to deliver a van full of blankets, medical supplies, nappies, gas cookers etc. These are hard to find now because people have been panic buying in Germany. I have started collecting from pharmacies already, but if any of our German members have any contacts that can be useful, please get in touch with me. I am looking for 400 blankets, steriliser, small torches, pain killers, bandages, and anything else that can be useful.

Leipzig or Dresden can also be good pick up points. I am near Wesel presently in NRW.

Please use your social media to help make this happen.

Martin. +49 15223752484

[Tom from Rubicon]

DahkaBrahka. posted some links on Saturday. Regrettably I did not save the links they posted. Were there a way to fund 7.62x39 ammo to the Ukranian State forces.

[Tom from Rubicon]

Martin, pm me a PayPal, i'm in for $100 USD.

Tom

[lupussonic]

Thanks Tom. I'm in for around 2000 euros of my own money, but I don't care, this is existential. Send your 100 to one of the above charities; I have a roof over my head for me when I'm back. Leaving tomorrow morning 3.3.22.

[lupussonic]

IMG_20220302_101834_986.jpg

IMG_20220302_101743_931.jpg

[StevenBauer]

Looks like a full load. Have a good playlist for the ride? It’s awesome that you are doing this.

[lupussonic]

IMG_20220302_181059_1CS.jpg

Some friends really stepped up.

[lupussonic]

That's full.

IMG_20220302_182033_184.jpg

[Concordia...41]

Thank you for posting this and thanks to WB for the pin.

The concerns about donations going into the Ukraine being intercepted are valid. I appreciate the information on the Polish organizations.

I also appreciate the local knowledge on the subject. I consider myself pretty selective, yet I know the news I'm receiving through the US news channels is largely garbage

It doesn't seem possible to buy and ship things there expeditiously, but if you have something like Amazon and can post or PM me a link to a wish list, I can purchase something specific to fill a need - cots, blankets, baby carriers, baby food.

Until a better idea comes along, I'll use one of the Polish charities above. I also fount a link to the International Red Cross. I used a link on a page about the Ukraine efforts. Hopefully it ends up there. https://www.icrc.org/en/donate

BTW - it could be something lost in Google translations, but I couldn't find a donation button on the goch-hilft.de website (from the van picture above).

Thank you Mikołaj and others for all that you are doing there.

-M

[lupussonic]

Goch-Hilfte has a Paypal button on their web site. I just phoned the man and that's what he told me.

I also found this.

Inhaber: Goch hilft e.V.
IBAN: DE80 3225 0050 0700 5593 62
BIC: WELADED1GOC

(on their website).

https://www.goch-hilft.de/wie-spenden-2/

[Concordia...41]

I still didn't find the Paypal button. I'm sure it's a problem with the translation on the page.

This is from the current list of needs on the Facebook page. I seriously doubt they want used cats... Translation fail

Sleeping bags
ISO - used cats
...
Finished dishes
Hello sticks

Thank you again to everyone there that is able to personally help.

[lupussonic]

ISO is a sleeping mat...'Iso-matte'

You can do an international bank transfer using the IBAN number above, which is on their web site towards the bottom of each page.

They are super busy right now, thousands of people are bringing items for them to ship into Ukraine on Saturday. At least 2 trucks are leaving then. They have official permission to cross through a two way corridor on the border with Ukraine.

[Rob Hazard]

UNICEF has a fund directed to Ukraine's children. We just donated there online.

[Tom from Rubicon]

The Misses and me PayPal'd UNICEF 100USD. Would rather sent 7.62X39 but aiding the innocent is OK too.

Tom

[WszystekPoTrochu]

The number of refugees has already exceeded one million. Half of them came to Poland, but it's Moldova that is under most stress when comparing to country size. Both states are starting to have issues finding/creating accommodation fast enough, even though preparations have started weeks before the murderers struck. It's literally freezing outside, Ukrainians can't be sleeping in tents the way things were organised in the Middle East. It was estimated that total number of refugees should reach between 1 and 5 million. The first million hit in a week. The first response is wonderful, long term support capabilities are still not fully known.
The refugees can travel by train for free in (chronologically) Czechia, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Germany. We've also cleaned and reactivated an abandoned train line leading to a smaller border crossing this week. Points of first contact in Poland are not having supply issues right now. Aid inside Ukraine is still flowing, unfortunately Kiev and Kharkov are cut off. Most of aid flows through various sized trucks, Czechia has also organised a passenger-cargo train sending help in one way and collecting people in the other. Sooner or later word "relocation" will need to be discussed. UK offers 200k places, Sweden on the other hand said they did enough in 2015.
Refugee help coordination points are now, at least here, crystallized. We're transforming from a self created swarm to centralized, reputable, recognizable points. In case of Poznań, the number seems to have solidified on closely cooperating three. Most of the others still function, but no longer arrange everything separately. Good, it will prevent information chaos and should improve overall efficiency.
Ukrainians are also eligible to free COVID tests and free vaccines. I've also heard of several kids that are already admitted to primary schools. Ukrainian refugees can legally stay in Poland no questions asked, however those that can document arriving Feb 24th onward will be eligible to social programs. This includes 100€ aid for each kid in the family (200€ if kid is under 2). The ministry is also preparing changes in work laws, facilitating Ukrainians to enter the legal workforce. Since 2014 a lot of them migrated to Poland, estimates vary between 200k and 1500k. Estimates are very rough since many couldn't/wouldn't work legally. Changing this benefits everyone. We also see that Ukrainians do indeed feel themselves okay in Poland, as few migrate further west. The challenge is to absorb the sudden influx and support it until Putin loses or they get on own feet.

[Concordia...41]

The number of refugees has already exceeded one million. Half of them came to Poland, but it's Moldova that is under most stress when comparing to country size. Both states are starting to have issues finding/creating accommodation fast enough, even though preparations have started weeks before the murderers struck. It's literally freezing outside, Ukrainians can't be sleeping in tents the way things were organised in the Middle East. It was estimated that total number of refugees should reach between 1 and 5 million. The first million hit in a week. The first response is wonderful, long term support capabilities are still not fully known.
The refugees can travel by train for free in (chronologically) Czechia, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Germany. We've also cleaned and reactivated an abandoned train line leading to a smaller border crossing this week. Points of first contact in Poland are not having supply issues right now. Aid inside Ukraine is still flowing, unfortunately Kiev and Kharkov are cut off. Most of aid flows through various sized trucks, Czechia has also organised a passenger-cargo train sending help in one way and collecting people in the other. Sooner or later word "relocation" will need to be discussed. UK offers 200k places, Sweden on the other hand said they did enough in 2015.
Refugee help coordination points are now, at least here, crystallized. We're transforming from a self created swarm to centralized, reputable, recognizable points. In case of Poznań, the number seems to have solidified on closely cooperating three. Most of the others still function, but no longer arrange everything separately. Good, it will prevent information chaos and should improve overall efficiency.
Ukrainians are also eligible to free COVID tests and free vaccines. I've also heard of several kids that are already admitted to primary schools. Ukrainian refugees can legally stay in Poland no questions asked, however those that can document arriving Feb 24th onward will be eligible to social programs. This includes 100€ aid for each kid in the family (200€ if kid is under 2). The ministry is also preparing changes in work laws, facilitating Ukrainians to enter the legal workforce. Since 2014 a lot of them migrated to Poland, estimates vary between 200k and 1500k. Estimates are very rough since many couldn't/wouldn't work legally. Changing this benefits everyone. We also see that Ukrainians do indeed feel themselves okay in Poland, as few migrate further west. The challenge is to absorb the sudden influx and support it until Putin loses or they get on own feet.

All good lessons on how to treat refugees. The US should take note, but unfortunately they won't.

Thank you, Martin, and all that are helping on the ground there.

-M

[lupussonic]

Great update, good info. Thanks..

Will check in with you soon.

M

[amish rob]

Travel well, Martin. Thanks for being You.

[Ted Hoppe]

Best of luck and safe travels. Look forward to hearing about your journey.