What Can ï¿¡15 Buy?
Laurie-Lynn McGlynn
Canadian Artist/Writer currently living in the United Kingdom
"Homes, schools, hospitals, essential services and other civilian infrastructure have been laid to waste, reducing some people to drinking rainwater and snowmelt, cutting off supplies of food and medicines. Inside Ukraine, establishing safe corridors and satisfactory security guarantees for the evacuation of civilians continues to be an urgent issue. And the delivery of lifesaving aid remains dangerous and challenging." (UNHCR)
How can my cash donation help during this Humanitarian Tragedy?
Well...Let's Break it Down...
According to the UN Refugee Agency (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), operations have been 'stepped up' in order to provide supplies and emergency aid to families caught in between the war zones. (https://www.unhcr.org/uk/). News reports have recently suggested that donating items to charities, has sadly, not been the answer. The situation as it stands prevents most of those donations from getting across the borders and to the people who need it most. The better solution, it would seem, is to provide cash assistance rather than parcels of items. The UN Refugee Agency for example, offers an estimate of what a monetary donation can purchase. Cash donations allows the UNHCR, a global organization dedicated to refugees, to purchase appropriate items that are needed most, to insure that supplies get to the right refugee communities, and to arrive without delay.
See below for an example of what your cash donations can provide:
ï¿¡150
could help provide legal counselling support to eight people forced to flee
ï¿¡80
could help provide emergency relief items such as shelter, bedding and tarpaulins.
ï¿¡48
could help provide 10 warm fleece blankets to displaced families
As we've all been made aware recently, our country is in a state of economic purgatory, with so many of us emerging from the dark hole called the Covid-19 pandemic. We've all felt the pinch (or for some, the punch), of the suffering economy and many of us have had to find innovative ways to survive during lockdowns. As a visual artist and creative writer, I can attest to the loss of finances and the increase in pressure to keep going.
When Russia declared it's attack on the Ukraine, like many, I assumed this would not last long. I assumed wrong. So here we are, faced with a barrage of disturbing images and grueling news stories reporting the current situation in the Ukraine. It's not really that "far" away that we cannot imagine the pain folk are enduring. One minute you're late for a shift at the coffee shop, the next, you're stuffing items into a backpack, running through a cratered street, confused, frightened, and trying to stay alive. We can all 'imagine', but can we empathize?
EC charities are in Ukraine and neighbouring countries meeting the needs of all refugees and displaced people
ï¿¡30 could provide essential hygiene supplies for 3 people a month
ï¿¡50 could provide blankets for 4 families
ï¿¡100 could provide emergency food for 2 families for a month
https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal.
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So what have I contributed?
How can I do my 'bit'?
I made art...that's what I do.
I made peace lilies out of clay. They're selling through an online fundraising portal via Facebook. 100% of donations, all proceeds, go directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Now, to the crux of my article ... what can ï¿¡15 buy?
When you donate ￡15, you’ve just contributed to providing …
* Clean water and hot food
* Medicine
* Storybook to comfort a traumatised toddler
* Nappies (diapers), and baby wipes
* Toiletries for the family
* Replace boots, lost mittens and hats
Peace Lily by Laurie-Lynn McGlynn:
Material: 3 varieties of polymer clay, acrylic paint, acrylic varnish. Peace Lilies are my gift to you when you donate ï¿¡15 to the DEC.
To order your Peace Lily, CLICK HERE
Please also send me your postal address in FB Messenger, or Email
Thank you … and may you never know what it means to lose your freedom