"Supporting each other in difficult times. "

Dear Community, I sat down to write my column this week but decided instead I had to focus on recent events. So Angela I promise to answer your question – what tips do I have for someone seeking a new job, in a new industry at 60 – next week.?

I know what’s happening in Ukraine can feel distant for so many so I want to share a bit of my own story in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Their courage has been extraordinary and may it inspire all of us.??

Seeing the images of families in bunkers taking shelter amidst the bombing, of the mom bringing the child of a stranger to safety at the Ukrainian border, of the father breaking down as he says goodbye to his daughter brings back vivid memories of my own family’s escape from Iran.?

I was eleven when we fled Iran following the Iranian revolution. 1978 was a year filled with lawlessness, riots, gunfire and martial law. My class size shrunk daily as my classmates, many of whom were American, were being evacuated. At home everyone was preoccupied and anxious while I was glued to the news. After my father and his colleagues were placed under house arrest, armed guards broke into our house regularly. When my father was released, my parents decided it was time for us to leave. I was told we were going on summer holiday and I think there was a part of my parents who really did believe we’d be coming back. It’s impossible to really understand that you could be leaving your home for good. It’s a devastating loss that stays with families for generations. Life was never the same. And after the events of these last two years, we can all relate to how our world and life can change forever in the blink of an eye.?

What is happening in Ukraine is going to change the country and its people forever. Rebuilding after this kind of loss takes years.?

So as news broke out, I found myself asking, how can I help? For those of you asking the same question, here are some suggestions:?

If you have impacted colleagues or friends, reach out and let them know you’re thinking of them. Listen. Ask if there is anything you can do.?

Support your local Ukrainian Small Businesses – for example in New Yorkers have been gathering on at Veselka .

Support organizations focused on humanitarian relief:

• A list put together by Razom , and one put together by TIME .
• CARE : distributes urgently needed emergency supplies such as food, water, hygiene kits and cash to cover daily needs
• GlobalGiving :the largest global crowdfunding community connecting nonprofits, donors, and companies in nearly every country.
• International Rescue Committee : respond to the world’s worst humanitarian crises & help people to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.
• International Medical Corps : an organization aiming to help people in crisis by providing lifesaving emergency health services, and promote self-reliance through training.
• Nova Ukraine : a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about Ukraine and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian Red Cross : an organization of 600 staff, 3000 volunteers and 283 branches — that for 103 years has helped those that need it most.?
• USA for UNHCR : protects refugees and empowers them with hope and opportunity.

I’m a big advocate for press freedom. This is a moment to support those who stay on the ground to give us the facts.?

Support Organizations defending journalists/press freedom:?

• A Culture of Safety Alliance (ACOS )
• Committee to Protect Journalists
• International Women’s Media Foundation
• Reporters without Borders

Follow reporters on the ground in the Ukraine (tks to Lynzy Billing ):?

• Olga Tokariuk @olgatokariuk
• Illia Ponomarenko @IAPonomarenko
• Olga Rudenko @olya_rudenko
• Katerina Sergatskova @KSergatskova
• Daria Kaleniuk @dkaleniuk
• Alexander Khrebet @AlexKhrebet
• Oleksiy Sorokin @mrsorokaa
• Anastasiia Lapatina @lapatina_
• Christpher Miller @ChristopherJM

Follow photographers on the ground in the Ukraine (tks to SniperAlley + The Art Newspaper ):

• Aris Messinis - Twitter ; Instagram
• Chris McGrath? – Instagram
• Emilio Morenatti – ?Twitter ; Instagram
• Erin Trieb – Instagram
• Lynsey Addario – Twitter ; Instagram
• Mikhail Palinchak – Instagram
• Mstyslav Chernov – Instagram
• Oksana Parafeniuk – Twitter ; Instagram ?
• Wolfgang Schwan – Instagram ?

If you all have other suggestions and ideas, please share! Remember building community is not a transactional experience, it’s about holding space for each other. You may not know what to do or say – but just acknowledging the moment, listening and being there for each other, can make a world of difference.