Updates From Ukraine Friends

Hello?Donors, Supporters, and?Friends!?It's been some time since our last update, so we have lots of exciting news to share.?We've welcomed?a?new CEO,?launched a?new program,?and are thrilled to announce that?22 refurbished ambulances?will soon be arriving in?Ukraine?to?assist those in need.

We are proud of all we've accomplished?in our first year, and we're incredibly grateful for your ongoing support.?However, with the war extending into its second year, there is still much work to be done. We hope you'll consider helping us help?Ukraine?by?donating?here.

Krakow 5: Bringing Aid and Hope to?Ukraine

A year ago, Richard Bindler , Greg Pearlman , Alex Dimitrief , David Kahnweiler , and Mark Futrovsky , known as the Krakow 5, embarked?on?a humanitarian mission to?Ukraine. Through months of fundraising, they raised over $1 million, directly supporting humanitarian aid efforts in?Ukraine.

During their?visit, they distributed over 6,000 Individual First Aid Kits and helped to evacuate over 5,000 people from?Ukraine?to Slovakia. They also provided ambulances for the Volunteer Ambulance?Corp, supplied specific medicines in short supply to Lviv Children's Hospital, funded an orphanage program, allocated funds for a Jewish Community Center in Krakow, and distributed toys and kids kits to children at hospitals and evacuation centers!

They were able to accomplish so much and we will forever be grateful for all of their hard work and support of?Ukraine!

First Aid Kits Delivered

In March 2023, the?Ukraine?Friends?team embarked on a humanitarian aid mission delivering Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) to?Ukrainians?around the country, both those sent to the front lines with inadequate medical supplies and those living and working in harm's way.?IFAKs are specialized first aid kits designed to address two of the leading causes of death in a war zone - severe hemorrhage and inadequate air supply.?They have a profound impact on saving lives and are one of the most requested items from?Ukraine.Ukraine?Friends?has already delivered over?70,000 IFAKs?to?Ukraine?since our inception, and we remain committed?to providing?IFAKs to those that need them.

Laptops To Support Education

In April 2023, the?Ukrainian?government released the results of a study showing the impact of the war on access to secondary school education across the country. The report outlined many concerning stats, including:

• As a result of the war, about 800,000 children changed their form of education from in-person to distance education (from 17,669 students in 2021 to 772,909 in 2022) and family (home) education (from 4,695 to 64,409 students, respectively).
• 30% of children across the country did not have full access to formal education programs due to the conditions of the war, and in the South of?Ukraine?this figure reached 40%.

During our last humanitarian trip to?Ukraine, Joe Sullivan met with Vitaliy Kim, Governor of Mykolaiv Region, to discuss how?Ukraine?Friends?could help meet the needs of local children.?To address the disruption of schooling caused by the war and to help support remote learning,?Ukraine?Friends?has launched a new program focused on providing laptops and school supplies to?Ukrainian?children and teachers. Read More.

Partnership with Rachael Ray

Ukraine?Friends?has developed a long-standing partnership with the?UkrainianCongress Committee of America and the celebrity chef?Rachael Ray, and provided logistical support for her most recent humanitarian trip to?Ukraine?in March.?The primary goal of the visit was to refurbish and bring supplies for the kitchen at St. John Bosco Orphanage, which serves war-torn children and families.?During her trip, we joined Rachael for a cooking class at the orphanage, and together we also visited local hospitals to plan future donations.

Rachael Ray has previously volunteered in the?Ukraine?Friends?warehouse in Lviv, helping with our distribution of first aid kits, laptops, blankets, hygiene products and other humanitarian aid to those in need throughout the country.?Ukraine?Friends?deeply appreciates Rachael Ray's commitment to supporting the people of?Ukraine. Read more.

Why?Ukraine?Friends?

Thankfully, many amazing US-based nonprofit organizations are currently helping?Ukraine?survive this brutal attack by Russia.?So, why should you choose to entrust us with your donation??What makes us unique?

It's simple - our people.?

It’s the Founders with their passion for supporting?Ukraine?and their well-earned expertise in sourcing and logistics, it’s our team on the ground in?Ukraine?working tirelessly to help facilitate the donations, and it’s our staff who are fully committed and solely focused on doing what is best for?Ukraine.?

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