Help Feed Ukraine’s Frontline Heroes — Even From Afar

Last year, I spent six weeks in Ukraine volunteering with an incredible grassroots group called the Kyiv Kitchen Ants. I shared what I witnessed day by day — not through headlines, but through lived experience: meals prepared for frontline defenders, supplies delivered against the odds, and a community that refused to stop caring for one another, even in the darkest moments.

At the center of it all is the group’s founder — quite simply, one of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met. The courage, compassion, and relentless commitment of everyone in this organization has left a permanent mark on me, and it’s a big part of why this mission means so much.

Together, we raised funds that directly supported their work feeding and supporting soldiers in their fight- not just to remain free, but to survive as a people. It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

I had planned to return this year.

But I won’t be going back, at least not right now — not because the need has gone away, but because the situation has become even more dangerous. My family urged me not to go, and they’re right. Over the past year, conditions have only worsened. Two buildings near my friends’ home have been destroyed. People I know personally have gone weeks without electricity or heat during the brutal winter. Daily life is still defined by uncertainty, resilience, and survival.

And yet — the Kyiv Kitchen Ants are still there.

Still cooking. Still delivering. Still showing up.

While I can’t stand beside them physically this year, I want to stand with them in the way I can: by raising funds to support their mission.

Every dollar raised will go toward:

Preparing and delivering meals to frontline defenders

Providing critical supplies where infrastructure has failed

This isn’t a large organization with layers of overhead. It’s a small, dedicated group doing real, immediate, life-saving work — the kind that rarely makes headlines, but matters deeply.

If you followed my journey last year, you know how much this means to me. If you’re new, I hope you’ll consider joining me in supporting a group that continues to show extraordinary courage under impossible circumstances.

I may not be there in person this time — but together, we can still make an impact.

Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping.

And as always---- I stand with Ukraine!!!