How Some Massachusetts Businesses Are Supporting Ukrainian People
MASSACHUSETTS — If you're wondering what you can do to show your support and solidarity with Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, Patch has compiled a list of local and national charities and aid efforts you can donate to.
With over two million estimated refugees, thousands of people are still struggling to get to safety or have ample amounts of food and supplies while fleeing, according to the United Nations. The U.N. High Commissioner for refugees has called this the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two.
In Massachusetts, local businesses have taken it upon themselves to launch fundraisers and aid efforts to support the Ukrainian people.
Aeronaut Brewing Co. - Located in Everett and Somerville, Aeronaut has partnered with the Federation of Beer to raise funds for CARE's Ukraine Crisis Fund. By releasing a new beer 'Red Eyes', in collaboration with Lviv, Ukraine's Pravda Beer Theatre, Aeronaut will donate 100% of the proceeds to provide immediate aid and recovery, including food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance to those affected.
Aeronaut says donations have already allowed them to donate $4,000 to the cause without the beer even hitting shelves yet.
Harpoon Brewery - The Boston-based brewery is donating a dollar per pint sold in its taprooms in Boston and Windsor, VT to support people in Ukraine, an Instagram post shows.
"We stand with President Zelensky and the heroes fighting for their freedom in Ukraine," the post reads. "#StandwithUkraine"
Konditor Meister - According to a Facebook post, this Braintree bakery is selling cupcakes online where 100% of the proceeds go to the Save the Children Foundation, which is working to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine and beyond. Konditor Meister says they are also matching the amount raised.
MyStryde - A running studio in the North End of Boston is holding Ukraine-relief classes for $35 where all the funds are donated to the Ukraine Crisis fund by GEM. GEM aims to meet refugee families at the Polish border with an aid and relocation center, where they pay for their flights and transportation to safety.
While these are just some of the many businesses around the Boston area coming up with creative ideas to help, other people have taken it upon themselves to donate and spring into action. A Newton woman from Ukraine launched an organization called "Sunflowers of Peace" to raise over $700,000 in relief funds for Ukraine.
A Natick couple with ties to Ukraine organized a supply drive to provide humanitarian efforts to aid the people affected by the attacks. The couple also got more than $5,000 in donations, which went toward covering the costs of shipping as well as buying additional supplies.
Some things to keep in mind when donating to a charity:
Donate money over items.
Prioritize charities that have strong ties to Ukraine and that prioritize short-term relief over long-term development.
Vet the charity through the Better Business Bureau's Give.org, GuideStar or Charity Navigator.
Go to the nonprofit’s website to see how the money is being used.
Use a credit card rather than a debit card or a third-party service to make your donation.
Beware of solicitations for charities by phone or text, even if they seem legitimate.
Never agree to wire transfers or donations through gift cards.
Nationally, here are 23 charities that are accepting donations:
Alight, formerly the American Refugee Committee, has sent an emergency response team to Poland to help refugees from Ukraine.
Before the invasion, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee was active at more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine, extending “a lifeline for an estimated 40,000 Jewish elderly and 2,500 poor Jewish children," according to its website. Now, those services are expanded to include food package delivery, building a database to be able to contact clients in an emergency, and helping with the emergency response.
The American Red Cross has had teams in Ukraine for eight years, and it is now providing food, hygiene products, blankets, medical supplies, trauma kits and household assistance, as well as first-aid training in bomb shelters and metro stations.
Americares Foundation, which has deployed an emergency response team to Poland, calls the situation in Ukraine “a humanitarian crisis with immense health needs.” Donations will be used to buy medicine, medical supplies and other relief items that protect health, especially as Ukraine continues to battle rising COVID-19 infections and a polio outbreak.
Catholic Relief Services is working with its partners in Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine to provide shelter, meals, hygiene supplies, transportation to safe areas and providing other emergency services.
CARE USA, in partnership with People in Need, aims to reach 4 million people with emergency assistance — particularly families, women and girls, and the elderly who are likely to suffer the most by this crisis.
Direct Relief works directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and other regional partners to provide medical aid from oxygen concentrators to critical care medications, while at the same time preparing to offer longer-term medical assistance to people who are displaced or affected by the conflict.
Doctors Without Borders is sending more staff to Ukraine, where the immediate priority is to provide essential medical supplies to hospitals running low on necessary emergency response supplies such as surgical and trauma kits.
Episcopal Relief & Development is working through the Action by Churches Together Alliance to provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance.
GlobalGiving says eight years of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine have already killed thousands and thrown millions into crisis, but full scale war is having “catastrophic consequences,” made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. The charity provides shelter, food and clean water for refugees, and also health and psychological support and access to education and economic assistance.
GoFundMe verified Ukraine fundraisers support a variety of causes.
Heart to Heart International has worked in Ukraine almost since its beginning as a sovereign nation, making more than 60 shipments of medical and humanitarian aid since 1994. In response to the current crisis, the charity is delivering hygiene kits and medical supplies, and is working with local organizations to support refugees.
The International Medical Corps has worked in the country since 1999, most recently in 2014 in response to the collapse of eastern Ukraine’s health system. Its teams re on the ground in Ukraine, ready to provide medical, mental health and other health care services, and also has representatives in Poland and Hungary to assist refugees. Right now, most needed are non-food items, such as hygiene kits, blankets and other critical need items for refugees.
The International Rescue Committee is on the ground in Poland to support the approximately 1.06 million Ukrainians who fled there to escape the Russian invasion. Donations help the organization provide food, medical care and other emergency support services.
The Kyiv Independent, an English-language publication launched three months ago on the principles of independent journalism, needs help to continue publishing as the crisis deepends.
MAP International, a Christian organization, will send emergency medical and disaster kits to Ukraine.
Mennonite Central Committee has worked in Ukraine since 1920, when its soup kitchens fed thousands of starving families. Since the beginning of the current conflict, the organization has focused on helping people displaced by the crisis.
Mercy Corps has teams on the ground in Ukraine, Poland and Romania, where funding is provided to local organizations based on humanitarian needs they’ve identified as most urgent. In 2014, Mercy Corps helped 200,000 Ukrainians with emergency cash, food, water and sanitation supplies.
Samaritan’s Purse sent a DC-8 to Poland loaded with supplies for an emergency field hospital on the outskirts of Lviv, Ukraine, that will have two operating rooms and be capable to providing 14 major and 30 minor surgeries per day, plus 100 emergency room visits. It has about 60 inpatient beds, including four ICU beds and four step-down beds.
Save the Children, which has been providing humanitarian aid to children and their families in Ukraine since 2014, says 400,000 of the refugees are children who are at risk of hunger, illness, trafficking and abuse. Donations provide immediate assistance, such as food, water, hygine kits, psychological support and cash.
UNICEF is on the ground in Ukraine to provide safe water, health care and other protections to children. Donations are 100 percent tax-deductible, and the organization retains less than 3 percent of funds for administrative costs.
The U.N. World Food Program USA says a $75 donation provides a family with an emergency box containing enough food for an entire month.
The U.N. Refugee Agency is on the ground in Ukraine helping refugees navigate their escape from Ukraine.
This article originally appeared on the Across Massachusetts Patch
