Heroes in Need: Help Continue and Scale Support.
My name is Christopher Freisinger and I am raising $5,900 to establish a US-registered 501c3 charity called Civilian Shield. This funding will cover crucial expenses such as state and IRS registration fees, legal/accounting fees, website hosting, and incidentals like notaries and document copies. The urgency of forming this charity is critical, given my first-hand knowledge of the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
Civilian Shield's mission: "We are dedicated to saving lives in conflict zones. Our mission is to provide critical support and resources where they are most needed, to civilians and civil servants, in the face of invasion and the aftermath. Through our dedicated efforts, we strive to create a secure environment that fosters hope, healing, and resilience."
When Ukraine looked like it would be attacked, I thought through a long list of reasons to prepare to go or not. I could list over 100 reasons I went, with 20 or so being extremely high-priority for me, but to "boil it all down", in the end, I think the largest compelling reason was that they asked for help, I know they would need life-saving help, and I knew I have skills to do it.
After reaching out to various NGOs already engaged in the region, I committed to volunteering for Kidsave.org, an organization focused on evacuating orphans and civilians from conflict areas. Since then, a significant portion of my work has been dedicated to supporting their efforts.
Through these experiences, I have witnessed the profound impact of our work. Kidsave.org's "Angels of Hope" drivers, whom I train and support, have successfully evacuated over 30,500 individuals from conflict zones and occupied territories, with more than half of them children.
Furthermore, during my own time, I have personally delivered supplies and life-saving equipment to conflict areas, police, fire departments, hospitals, clinics, and civilians in need. I collaborate with local officials, hospital administrators, and other similar authorities to assess needs and plan logistical improvements. Sadly, as time has passed, many NGOs have left, and the busiest border at Medyka now only has 1 or 2 support tents where there were over 100 in the beginning. The support has largely moved on, but the needs have not stopped, and only serve to increase during the summer months.
Thanks to the trust I've earned from other volunteers and leaders, I have "inherited" several donor groups across Europe, as the volunteer groups have returned home. This has led to an increasing influx of donations beyond Kidsave's mission and ability to handle.
I diligently vet both the recipients and the specific needs, ensuring effective distribution. As I do so, I also often run across situations where the lack of $500-3,800 will cost lives, or likely fold a defensive line. However, even covering expenses such as diesel, vehicle maintenance, and other operational costs has become a growing financial burden. I have just been going further into debt monthly to cover it, until now, attempting to avoid conflicts of interest. But, this is war, so I am making an exception.
In my over 13 months in Ukraine, I have carried out a range of critical tasks and responsibilities:
- As the only war driver (the vast majority of the war) to bring in supplies for Kidsave.org from outside of Ukraine, I have transported vital supplies, including food (averaging over 10 tons per month in the beginning), defensive equipment, civilian necessities, generators, medicine and warm clothes.
- I coordinate logistics, manage special projects, and maintain secure warehouses.
- Loaded/transported (usually by myself) and helped unload hundreds of tons of aid
- Received, vetted need/placement, and delivered a 35kw generator to provide kidney dialysis to a huge area unsupported for months due to lack of power. Until now (6 months later), the only facility serving that area.
- I have managed the transportation, security and delivery of millions of dollars worth of medicine, and medical/surgical equipment to hospitals, clinics, ambulances, and medics.
- During the perilous winter months, I replaced lost volunteer drivers, undertaking supply trips from the Atlantic coast of Europe to combat areas, sometimes making multiple trips in a single week, all while fulfilling other normal duties and tasks.
- Utilizing my spare time, I have conducted civilian exfiltrations from combat zones and provided TCCC combat medic training to volunteers, police officers, and civilians living and working in conflict areas.
- Sacrificing all holidays, birthdays, and weekends, I have dedicated myself solely to work and sleep, the vast majority of days resting for only 2-3 hours per day in a van. Freezing nights were sometimes challenging.
- To date, I have not lost or mixed up one single item that has been received. Easier now than at the beginning, when corruption and hijackings were more common.
- I have transported and protected numerous individuals from various organizations, both within and outside of Ukraine.
- I handle end-to-end deliveries for high-risk/value medications and equipment, maintaining a secure chain of custody.
My experience, documents, contacts, and methods grant me access through all necessary borders, checkpoints, officials, and areas essential to accomplish our mission. The level of my access is rare.
In times of war, the presence of civilian support and NGOs is vital. While militaries and governments focus on defense, NGOs play a crucial role in protecting, relocating, and supporting civilians. Large NGOs, due to their size and structure, often require more time to adapt and are constrained by their mandates. Smaller NGOs, like Civilian Shield, are agile and responsive, effectively filling the gaps left by other support systems. Having spent over a year on the ground, interacting with various organizations and support personnel, and earning the kind of trust that gives visibility to the realities outside of the media's view, I can confidently state that there is an immense gap in assistance. People are still needlessly losing their lives due to the lack of supplies and transportation.
This is precisely why I am driven to establish Civilian Shield as a 501c3. I have successfully managed a nonprofit organization in the past, and now, more than ever, we need targeted and direct support that can be efficiently and swiftly deployed.
Please join us in this critical endeavor. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by invasion and conflict. Your generous support will help us provide essential aid, create safer environments, and bring more protection, hope and healing to those who need it most. Help us form Civilian Shield and be a beacon of light in the face of darkness. Donate today to save lives and make a lasting impact.
Thank you for your empathy, compassion, and belief in the power of humanitarian action.