Rushing to help people fleeing from Ukraine
Donation protected
My name is Maria Laplante. I grew up in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, which is roughly 40 miles from the Ukrainian border. I moved to the United States 18 years ago. One of the greatest moments of my life was when I became an American Citizen. I travel back to Hungary often to visit my family and friends.
I have been glued to the TV since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. My phone started to ring off the hook from my family & friends in Hungary, and that made this horrific situation even more real. What I learned from all of those phone calls is that the Hungarians are stepping up to help the refugees who are fleeing from the senseless violence. Although my home town is 40 miles from the border, a lot of people I know live even closer to the border of Ukraine.
My friends and family have been texting me photos and I have been watching the local news in Hungary as well as following many social media sites. I have seen Hungarians rush to the border to pick up Ukrainian refugees to provide them with food, water, offer them rides to wherever they wish to go and offer them places to stay.
Schools have been closed to students so they can become temporary homes for the refugees. I have also seen photos of refugees sleeping at train stations, where sporting events are normally held, and I even saw an event hall decorated for a wedding that never happened because it was used as a shelter for as many refugees as they could fit in the space.
Refugees are sleeping on the floors, trying to get some rest after travelling for days without any sleep. I’ve seen photos where children are only wearing slippers. Only slippers… that is all they had time to put on before fleeing their home. I can`t imagine having to leave my home, or wherever I am, in a matter of minutes and having to leave behind your husband, father, grandfather or your teenage son to fight in a war.
Civilians in Hungary, including my friends and family are getting together with the help of social media to organize transports, start and manage collection sites, driving the supplies to the border, some even opened up their own homes!
How can I sit still and watch this, and not try to help? At first, I felt helpless being so far away. The many calls I have received made me realize there is a way I can help! There is an immediate and urgent need for assistance for this humanitarian crisis! Together, we can support communities and individuals that are helping the Ukrainian refugees!
I am asking my fellow Americans in Western Mass to donate to this fundraiser! No donation is too small, anything helps! All donations raised will be immediately distributed to various local organizations, businesses, medical offices, churches, and individuals who are taking care of the refugees with much needed aid such as shelter, food, water, pet food, hygiene kits, medical services, transport, and emotional support.
A local school:
The wedding venue:
At the school gym:
A “warming” tent:
At the border:
At the train station:
At the border, Hungarian civilians are setting up tents and distribution tables:
My cousin and her friends are buying and transporting food:
Thank you for donating! You have no idea how grateful I am for your support!
Organizer
Maria Laplante
Organizer
South Hadley, MA
