June 14
Volunteers working with Ukraine TrustChain have evacuated 36,250 people to date (658 people this week). They continue to provide aid to and feed thousands every single week.
Daniil on his trip to Ukraine last week
Last week I returned to Ukraine to connect in person with our volunteers. I will remember this experience for the rest of my life as one of the brightest and most meaningful moments despite the terrible backdrop of this unjust war. As Karina told me, in the last three months ‘people that used to be close became distant, and people that used to be far became closer.’ Just four months ago, I would’ve never imagined I would be blessed with so many new friends, Ukrainian volunteers, who are the most precious and selfless people I know. It was heartening to see that just as we have nearly worshiped our volunteers’ every move, they have immense appreciation for all the donors in the US who they see as one powerful organization that cares for them, trusts them, lets them set their own priorities and helps them move forward.
It was also important to get the volunteer team leaders together, to establish new contacts so that information and resources can flow even more freely between the teams to address ongoing humanitarian needs, which continue to be great and urgent. In the villages I visited, every other home is destroyed and huge explosion craters gape in the midst of the colorful flowerbeds. I keep thinking, why would someone drop 500kg bombs on a grandma’s backyard?
People race to fix up the roofs and board up empty windows before the rain. Thousands of refugees are running out of their last savings and distant relatives hosting them - out of patience.
While this war lasts, these injuries cannot be healed, and we have to support and rescue people in need, help people build their future, send their kids to school, and find work. One of the teams has done research and found 22 schools in Chernihiv alone that need repairs to reopen safely in the upcoming school year. I hope we will find funds and methods to work on projects like this, which not only correct the terrible present, but also pave the way to a better future that Ukrainian people deserve.
Meeting with volunteers in Kyiv
Ukraine Team Milestones
In total, Pavel’s team evacuated 580 people this week.
Pavel managed to deliver aid into an extremely difficult territory that is being continuously shelled. Civilians trapped in that region have not seen any humanitarian relief for more than three months. One woman wept when a volunteer gave her a bottle of shampoo and feminine pads.
During the same trip Pavel discovered a group of people that came out of hiding and were hoping for evacuation without a prearranged plan. Pavel’s arrival with aid and a bus was nothing short of a miracle for them.
Kseniia came back from Poland and immediately went into action. After a scouting trip on Wednesday, on Thursday and Friday Kseniia’s team distributed aid in Borodyanka, Kuhari and other villages in the Kyiv region. As they did this, her team continued to look for homes that need repairs. Kseniia is planning to auction off pieces of shrapnel that destroyed these homes to help fund the repairs.
Karina’s team evacuated 78 people.
Dina’s nonprofit organization opened a new aid distribution center in Krasnokutsk.
Natasha’s network continued distributions in Brovary and Kryviy Rih; multiple trucks of aid were sent East to places with the most urgent need.
Oleksandr’s teams, whom we fund only partially, distributed 21,800 kilograms of humanitarian aid. Because the main bridge to access the occupied villages of Martove, Artemivka, Novyi Burluk, Bazaliivka, and Borshova had been bombed, the only way for volunteers to move aid there was using a dam.
In Lutsk, one of the ways that Oleksandr’s team supports displaced persons is by providing children with dental care.
US Team Milestones
One of the youngest supporters of Ukraine TrustChain, Yofi Knizhnik, organized a lemonade stand to fundraise for Ukraine. Please read about his efforts in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
We have a donate button on Facebook now. This will allow our supporters to fundraise through Facebook on their birthdays and for other events.
On June 9th, our board member Ilya Knizhnik, along with a number of other Ukrainian organizations, had a chance to go to DC to advocate for more support for Ukraine. Daniil recorded a video that Ilya showed to a number of congresspeople including Brandon Boyle, Madeleine Dean, and Dan Meuser during the Ukraine week in Washington.
How to Help
Donate - The money goes directly to teams providing aid on the ground, who respond dynamically to the most urgent needs.
Fundraise - Organize fundraisers at your school, work, place of worship, with friends and family, etc.
Spread the word - Share our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering with us, and we’ll let you know when opportunities come up.
Download and print our flyer. Ask your local coffee shop if you can add it to the bulletin, or use it as part of your fundraiser.