By organizing fundraising events and donations, businesses and organizations in the United States have dedicated their efforts to raising money and donating supplies to show support for Ukrainian refugees.
Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church (POLUC) is a local church in Lansdale that held events to collect supplies to donate to Ukrainian refugees.
According to POLUC parishioner Danica Pascavage, the church collected a variety of healthcare and hygiene products and has been taking monetary donations as well.
“[The church] had over 200 volunteers help us and we packed up over 2,000 boxes of supplies and over 300 mobility devices,” Pascavage said. “We got around $17,000 in donations.”
The members of the church found it was important to support Ukraine during this time since many members have ancestry in Ukraine. “We know that [Ukraine] is where we come from and we want to support our brothers and sisters back home,” Pascavage said.
Along with fundraising coming from local churches, Souderton Area High School has been involved in raising donations for Ukraine.
According to the Art for Social Change club advisor Ginny Perry, the group is beginning to raise money to donate to Ukrainian organizations by creating bookmarks and selling them to teachers.
“The students are creating bookmarks with a Ukrainian theme,” Perry said. “[That means] either [Ukraine’s] colors or flowers, birds, foods, patterns, anything that relates to Ukrainian culture.”
Co-President of Art for Social Change Kelley Zarzycki feels it is important to show support during Ukraine’s time of need because of the fear of the people who are now being targeted by Russia’s attacks.
“People are out of homes; [they] are living their daily lives in danger and need all the help they can get,” Zarzycki said.
Though there are local organizations within the community and school, there are small businesses throughout the country that have made products that contribute to donations to Ukrainian organizations.
Etsy shop owner Amber Lenington is selling handmade blue and yellow bracelets and donating 100% of the profits to support Ukraine.
“While the rest of the world will never truly know what the people of Ukraine are going through,” Lenington said, “we understand it is tragic, heartbreaking and unfathomable and showing support means they are not alone and that we are here for them.”
Lenington hopes to continue donating money to Ukraine in weeks to come to tell the people of Ukraine there are people supporting them.
The war between Ukraine and Russia began in February when Russian leader Vladimir Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine to prevent their officials from choosing to join the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
NATO is a government military alliance between countries in Europe and two in North America.
The goal of this organization is to ensure peace between the involved countries by political and military means.