Support My Humanitarian Aid Mission to Ukraine

Support My Mission to Ukraine

"We cannot take part in the war, we cannot stay out of the relief effort"

-Father Imre Kozma

Founder of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

This is a fundraising campaign to supplement my travel cost and expenses for a 60-day volunteering mission as a humanitarian aid worker in Ukraine. My name is Nicholas Anton Campbell and will be working with Malteser International in Berehove, Zakarpattia, Ukraine. A century ago, my family had to flee Ukraine after the Russian Revolution and so this tragic conflict weighs very heavy on my heart. I take my middle name from my great-grandfather, a cavalryman in the White Army, Anton Strelbitzky, born in Kyiv, who had to leave his homeland as a refugee arriving in New York on September 1st, 1923 (coincidentally the same day as my birth). I have always felt very close to my Russian/Ukrainian heritage and feel very blessed to be given the opportunity to serve with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta on the ground.

Since the War in Ukraine began there have been over 200 thousand casualties on both sides, refugees have numbered in the millions, and UNHCR has declared Ukraine a Level 3 emergency, the highest level. Since 2015, the Order of Malta, in close cooperation between Malteser International (MI), Malteser Ukraine and Malteser Germany, has been focusing on providing mental health and psychosocial support for displaced people and supporting the poor, disadvantaged populations with warm meals in soup kitchens in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. With a longstanding operational presence in the region, MI was well positioned to respond after the attacks on February 24th with its extensive network in Europe and has mounted a sustained campaign of support. In the first 6 months MI and its partners have provided more than 365,000 hot meals, delivered urgent relief supplies to 65 cities in south and east Ukraine, 190 Emergency Shelters, operate various warehouses and distribution points throughout the country, provided over 13,000 psychosocial support counseling sessions to IDPs, sent over 5,500 tons of relief goods to Ukraine, provided Lviv with 11 emergency ambulances and 2 mobile medical units. This is just a small picture of some of the work they have accomplished over there, and the need has only increased as the prospects of a short conflict have faded, and the spring offensive is about to begin.

Especially impressive has been the work of the Malteser Association of Hungary which can be seen in the map below showing their operations and where I will be working. I will be traveling to Budapest at the beginning of June from where I will then be traveling on my own to Beregsurány (border crossing point in Hungary to Ukraine) and then cross the border into Ukraine by foot. It takes just a few minutes (15-20 minutes) to cross the border by foot. Behind the border I will be picked up by someone from the team in Berehove. All transport, lodging and cost will be incurred and arranged by myself. I am currently scheduled to stay for two months all of June and July in Ukraine. Any donations you make will go directly to supplement my travel expenses and any additional funds will go towards supporting operations on the ground. While there, I will also be representing my local Rotary Club Sunup Rotary Club of Palm Springs, CA and will be visiting local Rotary Clubs in Ukraine while distributing goods across the country and fostering links between these two fine organizations. God bless and pray for those most in need.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Campbell

Recent Environmental Engineering graduate from Humboldt State University specializing in water and sanitation. Current Vice-President of local Sovereign Military Order of Malta Auxiliary San Bernadino. Always looking for more service opportunities abroad, currently residing in Palm Springs, CA. In my spare time, I work at a local theatre in charge of Sound and Sound Design. Also, have skills in carpentry and home construction. Please contact me directly with opportunities to be of service.

[phone redacted]

[email redacted]

On the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine - An Interview with Pavlo Titko, Head of Malteser Ukraine | Malteser International (malteser-international.org)

Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta| Report 24: Participation and involvement of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta in the humanitarian consequences of the armed conflict in Ukraine

Rotary Club of Palm Springs Sunup

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History of MI:

"Malteser International (MI) is the global humanitarian relief organization of the Sovereign Order of Malta, a lay religious order with 27 National Associations. Our mission is to support the vulnerable and marginalized so that they may live a healthy life with dignity. For over 65 years, we have served families suffering from poverty, disease, conflict, and disaster with over 130 projects in some 30 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. MI Americas opened its doors in the United States in 2013. Through our U.S. headquarters, MI Americas supports vulnerable families in Mexico, Colombia, Haiti, the United States, Venezuela, and Peru as well as other countries prone to disasters. We serve and advocate for vulnerable people affected by crises and displacement, especially the marginalized and forgotten, regardless of their beliefs or identity. We promote integrated health as a state of full physical, mental, and social wellbeing connected to water, sanitation and hygiene, food and nutrition security, protection, and environmental health. We trust and enable local actors to find innovative solutions to their challenges. We use our local expertise and the Order of Malta’s global network to advocate for positive changes. We collaborate as a group of highly committed professionals and volunteers, bound by values of love, empathy, and respect for diversity, who find joy and a sense of belonging in our work. Our mission is to:

• Provide targeted relief during major emergencies and forgotten crises, helping communities rebuild and recover.

• Establish and promote primary health care services and contribute to better health through improved nutrition and food security.

• Contribute to better health and dignified living conditions by providing access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.

• Create and operate social programs which help people secure their livelihoods and earn an income, making them less vulnerable and reducing structural poverty; and

• Develop and support initiatives that reduce the risks of disaster, especially at the community level.

Our humanitarian aid and assistance in conflict and emergency settings is guided by the principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. We work in accordance with internationally recognized quality standards for humanitarian aid and development, and endeavor to contribute to the continued evolution of these principles. Particularly, we use the Core Humanitarian Standard and related technical standards such as the Sphere Handbook as frameworks for orientation to help ensure we provide effective aid."