The senseless destruction of Ukraine has shocked the world. My husband, Leon Litinsky and I, Ruslana Litinskaia immigrated to the US from Ukraine in 1992. My entire family and our many friends are still there. We have been staying in constant contact with them and, as much as we try to keep their spirits high and help navigate them to safety, we need to do more.

Our best friends have decided to stay in the city of Kyiv as the invasion rages on. Ukraine is their country, Kyiv is their home, and they refuse to be driven away. Linked here is ABC Chicago News’s story on our interview with them. Through conversations with our friends, it has become clear that there are numerous organizations and people that could use our help. We have decided to start this GoFundMe to support not only those brave enough to defend Ukraine against Russian forces, but also to provide funds for those who have shown incredible kindness by taking it upon themselves to feed and shelter animals that have been left behind in the wake of the war. There are many organizations that are taking donations for a variety of causes in Ukraine, but charities are struggling to deliver humanitarian aid into Ukraine through normal channels, which causes delays, and there are many non-profits that cannot give directly to military because of tax restrictions. All funds raised by this Go Fund Me will be directly transferred to our friends in Kyiv who will be supporting these organizations with the funds. By donating, you are making an immediate and immeasurable impact. Below are the stories of the people and organizations who you will be helping. The funds will be split fairly based on need and scale of organization. For safety reasons, we are unable to give out specific locations or names. There will be additions to this list as we come across other organizations in need.

A team of six people have turned their restaurant in Kyiv into a field kitchen to feed the hundreds of brave defenders, elderly, and those in need. They have done this at their own expense and with the help of generous farmers, who have been donating their harvest. They use about a ton of produce every single day that turns into over 1,200 servings of food. The owners and their employees have been working more than 16 hours a day to achieve this. They ask for more funds to be able to continue their efforts.

Zoos in Mykolayiv, Kharkiv and city of Demidov, near Kyiv, have been impacted greatly from missile attacks on the territories. Many cities have been cut off from almost all supplies and electricity. Numerous zoo animals have been killed, and the remaining employees are doing all they can to feed and take care of these innocent animals. Quickly depleting what little funds they had left, The Mykolayiv Zoo is asking people to purchase tickets so that the money received will keep the animals fed throughout the war. Other zoos are taking donations.

A Horse Racing Track outside of Kyiv holds 350 horses that are running out of feed. Everyone at the track is trying the best they can to pitch in, but many are off fighting or have evacuated. They only have enough feed for a short period of time and are also asking for support.

Some of the funds gathered will be given to the people that are taking abandoned animals off the street. Svetlana, for example, is a friend that has been taking care of any cat and dog that she manages to rescue off the streets in Kyiv. She now has 20 cats and 1 dog in her home and needs help to feed them and to continue to rescue more.

Check in with us for updates. Thank you for your support. We appreciate your kindness. Glory to Ukraine!