'It's small, but it's something': Braintree collects medical supplies to help Ukraine

Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read

BRAINTREE – They watched the suffering of civilians on television, and wanted to do something to help the people of war-torn Ukraine.

So they went to town hall Friday afternoon bearing shopping bags and Amazon boxes filled with medical supplies such as bandages and first-aid kits to help treat the victims of the Russian invasion of the country.

Hundreds of medical supplies to be sent to Ukraine were collected in Braintree on Friday, March 11.
Hundreds of medical supplies to be sent to Ukraine were collected in Braintree on Friday, March 11.

"I see it every day on the news and it's heartbreaking," said Patty Orton, of Washington Street, who is a nurse. "I just went to the first-aid aisle and grabbed a lot of stuff."

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"It's small, but it's something," said Stephanie Munroe, of Cedar Street, of her donation. "I still can't believe it's happening."

John McDonough, of Quincy, sorts through the hundreds of items, including first-aid kits, disinfectant, pain relievers and medical gloves, that were collected at a supply drive for Ukraine at Braintree Town Hall on Friday, March 11, 2022.
John McDonough, of Quincy, sorts through the hundreds of items, including first-aid kits, disinfectant, pain relievers and medical gloves, that were collected at a supply drive for Ukraine at Braintree Town Hall on Friday, March 11, 2022.

The collection drive was organized by Kate Naughton, services coordinator in Mayor Charles Kokoros' office. She put it together after she got a call from a resident asking what was being done to help the people of Ukraine.

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Kokoros said the scene Friday afternoon reminded him of the generosity of residents in the food drives held during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Now our community has come together to help neighbors across the world," Kokoros said. "It's just amazing the outpouring of support the community has given."

Maureen McKenna, of Quincy, donates supplies to be sent to Ukraine at Braintree's collection drive on Friday, March 11, 2022.
Maureen McKenna, of Quincy, donates supplies to be sent to Ukraine at Braintree's collection drive on Friday, March 11, 2022.

The mayor said people who couldn't make the Friday afternoon collection dropped off their donations at town hall earlier in the week.

Donations dropped off at town hall were sorted by type and packed into boxes.

Members of the Braintree Emergency Management Agency will deliver the supplies to Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain, where, with the assistance of the group Ukraine Forward, the items will be trucked to New Jersey. They will then be shipped to Poland by the Ukrainian logistics company Meest.

The Braintree collection was not the only one on the South Shore last week. Others were held by Hull's Temple Shalom, the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club and the Marshfield Elks.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Medical supplies collected in Braintree to help the people of Ukraine