Safe transport for Ukrainians in the war zone.
Donation protected
Hello friends,
I am crowdsourcing funds to help my Ukrainian friends, Yuliya and Igor, match the money they have already saved to purchase a car. Before their country was invaded a little over one month ago, Yuliya and Igor lived a happy, ordinary life with their three daughters in Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. Overnight, everything changed and their lives, like so many others, were completely upended. Igor’s job as a building contractor evaporated and he has joined the civilian defense force. Yuliya has continued making small sales in her Etsy shop to buy yarn so that she can knit socks for the defenders. She says this both keeps the defenders warm and gives her something to do with her hands, calming her fears. It was through a seemingly coincidental Etsy purchase of knitted socks that I first met Yuliya.
Since then, we have been in almost constant daily contact. She reaches out in the middle of the night when the air raid sirens go off. During the day, we talk about more pleasant things like children, gardening and coffee. I have sourced some other ways to send much-needed supplies to help their family and the refugees they assist when passing through their small village on the way to the Polish border. Yuliya and Igor share what food they have grown in their garden with strangers and neighbors. They take supplies— like extra jars for carrying food to the front lines and dark clothing to weave camouflage nets— to the district center which is a one+ hour bicycle ride in each direction. Sometimes they make this trip twice a day, in all sorts of weather.
Most recently, I asked Yuliya how they will escape quickly in the unthinkable event that she and the girls need to flee Ukraine to seek safety across the border. She said that since there is no public transportation now, they would need to go by horse and cart which is difficult, but faster than walking.
Please help me by contributing whatever you can spare so that we can raise the remaining funds needed for Yuliya and Igor to purchase a basic car. This will dramatically increase their ability to safely move people and supplies around the western countryside, which is rapidly devolving into a war zone. They did not ask for this help. In fact, they have never asked me for anything. However, the need is there. By joining together to meet it we can each play a small yet meaningful part in alleviating suffering and bringing some margin of safety to Yuliya, Igor, their children, and other Ukrainians caught in the crosshairs of war.
Thank you for your generosity— I am so grateful to everyone who wants to join me in this effort. Every penny will go directly towards purchase of a vehicle and photos and progress reports will be posted. I will make regular updates to this campaign so you know exactly what is happening with your contributions both before the car is purchased and afterwards, so that you can see it in use.
I am crowdsourcing funds to help my Ukrainian friends, Yuliya and Igor, match the money they have already saved to purchase a car. Before their country was invaded a little over one month ago, Yuliya and Igor lived a happy, ordinary life with their three daughters in Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. Overnight, everything changed and their lives, like so many others, were completely upended. Igor’s job as a building contractor evaporated and he has joined the civilian defense force. Yuliya has continued making small sales in her Etsy shop to buy yarn so that she can knit socks for the defenders. She says this both keeps the defenders warm and gives her something to do with her hands, calming her fears. It was through a seemingly coincidental Etsy purchase of knitted socks that I first met Yuliya.
Since then, we have been in almost constant daily contact. She reaches out in the middle of the night when the air raid sirens go off. During the day, we talk about more pleasant things like children, gardening and coffee. I have sourced some other ways to send much-needed supplies to help their family and the refugees they assist when passing through their small village on the way to the Polish border. Yuliya and Igor share what food they have grown in their garden with strangers and neighbors. They take supplies— like extra jars for carrying food to the front lines and dark clothing to weave camouflage nets— to the district center which is a one+ hour bicycle ride in each direction. Sometimes they make this trip twice a day, in all sorts of weather.
Most recently, I asked Yuliya how they will escape quickly in the unthinkable event that she and the girls need to flee Ukraine to seek safety across the border. She said that since there is no public transportation now, they would need to go by horse and cart which is difficult, but faster than walking.
Please help me by contributing whatever you can spare so that we can raise the remaining funds needed for Yuliya and Igor to purchase a basic car. This will dramatically increase their ability to safely move people and supplies around the western countryside, which is rapidly devolving into a war zone. They did not ask for this help. In fact, they have never asked me for anything. However, the need is there. By joining together to meet it we can each play a small yet meaningful part in alleviating suffering and bringing some margin of safety to Yuliya, Igor, their children, and other Ukrainians caught in the crosshairs of war.
Thank you for your generosity— I am so grateful to everyone who wants to join me in this effort. Every penny will go directly towards purchase of a vehicle and photos and progress reports will be posted. I will make regular updates to this campaign so you know exactly what is happening with your contributions both before the car is purchased and afterwards, so that you can see it in use.
Organizer
Kate Huntress
Organizer
Yarmouth, ME