The Russian invasion of independent Ukraine has already claimed thousands of human lives, forced millions out of their homes, and caused destruction and humanitarian crisis across the country. Our Ukrainian men and women are heroically fighting to protect our land and freedom and the tales of their bravery and fearlessness have been heard around the world.

I am also a proud Ukrainian and I have been living in the United States for the last nine years of my life. But the rest of my family lives in Ukraine and they have been safe from the missile strikes so far - the nearest bombing happened about 90 miles from my hometown. Currently, my parents are hosting relatives who were seeking refuge from the war-torn city of Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine.

Today, I am asking the people of Iowa to help our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in a time of need, to make sure that Ukrainian children and their parents who lost their homes have a warm dinner and a dry place to sleep, away from constant shelling and destruction.
My local Greek Catholic Church in Chernivtsi, Ukraine is closely working with the Regional Communal Organization "Chernivtsi Regional Center for Socio-Psychological Help" (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068505242047). The goal of the center is providing clothing, food, medical help for refugees from the Eastern Ukraine and helping with refugee relocation. I am updating the purpose of the fundraiser to benefit the refugee center in my hometown and the raised money will be spent on providing further humanitarian aid (food, clothing, medication) to the hundreds of the refugees fleeing daily from the war in the Eastern Ukraine (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1150699259037708&id=100022929343556)