Relief for 3 Ukrainian Families

No family should be caught up in the terror and violence of war, but my family has. And while I moved to the United States from Ukraine years ago, and have been spared the horrors of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, my family back home hasn't been so lucky.

Their daily texts and Zoom calls are as brave as they are heartbreaking. Rushing their kids away from the playground to the sound of air raid sirens, witnessing food shortages in grocery stores, and watching the increasing numbers of refugee families in their cities is a daily reality. The needs are many, but the resources are scarce since two of my three cousins were cut off from their sources of income in the past month, one with a wife and the other with a wife and a one-year-old son. The three family units live in three different parts of Ukraine: east Ukraine, which is being disputed over and regularly shelled by Russia; central Ukraine, whose cities are seeing airports and military objects blown up by Russian missiles; and western Ukraine, which has seen displaced families flock there by the millions.

My cousins and their wives have been brave: they try to help their own extended families, their neighbors, and even some of the refugee families who have lost their homes and are staying in local bomb shelters. But with no defined source of income for the foreseeable future, the three family units are in dire need of actual monetary help. They currently have access to stores which are getting restocked with some regularity, and even though some products get sold out, the supply corridors to their cities are, as of this writing, open. But that's why the time goal of the fundraiser is a brisk 7 days -- time is extremely short, and the situation is volatile and changes by the hour, not by the day. The more we can gather, the quicker I can transfer them the assistance they need to make it through the next couple months of war, which will hopefully not last that long, but any estimate would be pure guesswork.

I will wire the gathered funds directly to each of my cousin's bank accounts, so they can have relief and security for their wives and children, as well as their extended communities (whom they have been helping even in their current dire circumstances). This money will go directly to the families in Ukraine who need support now, without getting filtered through any charitable organization processes that may or may not be quick about converting the money into real aid.

Along with your generosity, I know my family would appreciate your prayers. They are brave and resilient, but their spirits have been worn thin by the last 38+ days of bombs rattling their windows and any support -- be it spiritual or financial -- goes a long way. Thank you for your time and consideration.