As 2022 draws to a close, we look back on the developments in Ukraine with both sadness and hope. Sadness that the Russian invasion continues and hope that the resilience shown by the Ukrainian people will ultimately allow them to prevail. We are so proud that our modest grassroots efforts were part of a global groundswell of support for everyday people facing unimaginable circumstances.
From our initial donations to assist with the purchase of transport vehicles and general supplies for families and troops in besieged areas, to the purchase of strategically important night vision scopes, surveillance drones and computers, our informal “California Girls” group has raised over $40,000, enabling our friends at Project Dunkirk to fill a niche providing immediate direct assistance and equipment peripheral to governmental defense efforts. We know from the feedback we have received that this type of targeted local help can sometimes make all the difference while also letting Ukrainian soldiers and citizens know that they have support from across the world.
As Winter sets in and military aid has reached more areas, we have shifted our focus a bit, and instead of buying vehicles we are buying generators. They are still going to the troops and military volunteers who are often surviving without power or water. So far, we have raised enough to buy five of them; one is already in use in the Donbas region. The others will be headed to the troops in Zaporizhzhia and the Bakhmut region where some of the most brutal fighting has been going on. [See NY Times article: https://nyti.ms/3G3dK8D ]
Fortunately, we have a Ukrainian donor who has guaranteed, as much as one can, a supply of fuel for the generators through the winter. Generators are in high demand, for obvious reasons, and we are competing with others to obtain them. But this has not raised the prices; in fact, because they are going to support the fighters, we have received a discount of almost 50% from the retailers. We must wait with everyone else to get them.
And yet, life goes on. The wonderful news is that our Project Dunkirk friends Oleksandr and Svitlana are expecting their first child in the next several weeks. Yes, in Kyiv, possibly with lights, heat and power supplied to the hospital by a generator. Rather brave, we think. Svita could have gone to Poland but has chosen to remain. When one door closes, another one opens. And Ukraine will need lots of new citizens.
If you are interested in helping our efforts, contributions in any amount are greatly appreciated through Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, check, wire transfer and bank transfer. See contact info below.
We are thankful to all who have supported us through the year and wish you and yours the loveliest of holidays - Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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