100 Days of War & Help in Numbers
June 14, 2022
It has been 111 days since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 111 days since that 5am hour that changed millions of lives forever.
Three plus months into this war, the mood is grief and energy is low. The burden is so heavy.
And yet, as much for myself as for anyone else, I want to share a summary of some good news that can hopefully buoy us a bit through this dark valley.
How It Started…
The day after the invasion, as my family was still feverishly texting back and forth about every aunt and uncle and cousin’s whereabouts and status in Ukraine, my dad mentioned he spoke with my cousin Andriy in Rivne, who had already connected with friends and church contacts and was making plans for temporary housing for displaced people, trying to source generators, etc.
I sent out a few group texts to friends first, then extended family in Canada, asking people to donate if they could to support my family and their efforts to support others. My siblings did the same.
The response was immediate and mind-blowing.
Support started to pour in.
From friends, family. Friends of friends and friends of family. People shared about this in their churches and communities, people I’ve never met and may never meet donated. Colleagues, former colleagues, people from previous chapters of our lives we haven’t been in touch with for years. Neighbours. People we randomly met at rallies in support of Ukraine. Some people fundraised by making and raffling off their beautiful art. A whole youth group put on a bake sale fundraiser.
And we forwarded this money on to my cousin Andriy and his small mutual aid network.
How It’s Going…
It’s hard to get a precise number, but my guess is over 150 different people have contributed to this mutual aid project.
And in three months, we have raised $31,692.84 (CAD)!! (That’s $25,301.04 USD, ₴744,989.67 UAH!)
To me, this is INCREDIBLE and still mind-boggling. $31,692.84?!
Putting Some More Numbers to It
Andriy and I both thought it would be interesting to put some figures to the work he and his team have been doing for first 100 days of the war. (It was 100 days when we had this conversation and he provided this information.) Andriy was able figure out some approximate numbers to try to quantify some of the activity—an attempt to paint a picture of the scale, made possible by the donations we’ve forwarded and donations he received from other contacts.
Here they are. 100 days of war and 100 days of help, in numbers.
$63,000 (USD) DONATED & SPENT
on aid, fuel, and transport repairs
750 PEOPLE EVACUATED
women, children, elderly from regions with active hostilities
FROM 5 DIFFERENT REGIONS / OBLASTS
Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia
40 TRIPS MADE
evacuating civilians, delivering aid, or both
110,000 KM DRIVEN
for evacuation of civilians or delivery of aid
80 TONS OF AID DELIVERED
fresh & nonperishable food items
hygiene supplies
medicine & first aid supplies
12 VOLUNTEER TEAM MEMBERS INVOLVED
12 full-time & part-time volunteers at busiest time
5-6 full-time team members currently
10 VEHICLES USED
8 cargo vans
2 coach buses
20 TONS OF FUEL USED
In addition to supporting all of this…
We were able to also support a few of the team members’ families so that they could continue with this work, which was their hope, while being able to cover their basic expenses and their families’ basic needs.
As amazing as these stats are, they do not capture the full scale of the team’s effort or assistance provided—the many people and churches who offered temporary housing to evacuees; the mattresses purchased and beds built; the many, many hours of phone calls, vehicle repairs, and moral and emotional support provided.
Reflecting On the First Three Months
Andriy offered a few things in the way of commentary on what the last three months have been like. He talked about how the first two months of this invasion were the most active for them. In the first stretch they were running on adrenaline, and doing what they could because the right to exist depended on it. They slept only a little, and woke up and kept going because they could.
After two months, the rate of people leaving their homes and cities slowed, for various reasons. Aid from outside Ukraine also suddenly slowed, at least through their contacts. Then came the fuel crisis that forced them to pause whether they wanted to or not. Waiting for half a day for a small rationed amount of fuel at well over $2.00(CAD)/L is the new normal now. There was also the reality of fewer people able to drive the long distances. (For reference, Rivne to Zaporizhzhia is a ~2000km round trip.) And with the economy slowing, work has been hard to find for many. Andriy said they have food to eat right now, “but when you start thinking about the future, you start to worry.”
All of this resulted in a pace change, and a sudden onset of fatigue. How could it not? How long can a body run on adrenaline alone? In the midst of an ongoing genocide, no less.
The pace change and fatigue created opportunity to rest and recharge. It also provided some time to reflect and think about the future.
UA Union Help
After a few months of full-time volunteering, it became clear to Andriy that it may be most prudent to formalize their work by registering as a nonprofit organization. Legal transparency was becoming more of a priority during war time.
And so, please meet, UA Union Help!
UA Union Help is the official name of the team’s nonprofit organization.
You can read a concise explanation of their work right on their landing page linked below. (Translate the page into your language if needed.)
“Official” Future Plans
Andriy said that they will not continue at this “mad” pace, but they will continue. Obviously the need will continue to be there, even if the war stopped today. Their work and their help will likely shift as the needs evolve with the changing circumstances.
They plan to continue to partner with other groups and organizations, sharing resources and working together to respond to needs they encounter.
For my part, I will continue to forward on any donations to support UA Union Help.
How to Say “Thank You”?
At the beginning of this nightmare, the only thing that was as bad or worse than the pain was the feeling of helplessness. The response to our initial ask gave me something to do and I felt less helpless. And soon I was able to answer the impossible question, “How are you?” with: “Doing something helps me stay sane.” This little blog project has been a very real way to cope.
But much, much more importantly, your response helped us take care of our family members, and enabled them to offer so much care and help to so many Ukrainians who were in even greater danger and need. Every single person in Ukraine feels like my family; this is what it is to be Ukrainian right now.
To say that the words “thank you” fall short is one of the biggest understatements of my life.
I am moved over and over again at how the generosity of so many has changed the lives of so many in small and not-so-small ways.
A colleague recently told me of a conversation she had with another colleague and former Bosnian refugee, who, from her personal life and experience working with trauma survivors, remarked that Ukrainians that are able to do something constructive and helpful during this time will be less likely to suffer from severe psychological trauma when the war is over.
So thank you. So much.
Thank you for helping and giving others the opportunity to help.
Thank you for helping me cope and stay sane.
Thank you for caring about Ukraine and Ukrainians.
Truly, it means the world.
P.S. This isn’t the end!
If this reads as a wrap-up post, on the blog front at least, that’s not what it is!
Currently, Andriy and his team are in Chernihiv, delivering building supplies and household goods to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed before the city was liberated. I plan to post again about this trip. As I have energy.
I hope you continue to read along, but more importantly I hope you continue to care about what is happening in Ukraine. The effects of this invasion are rippling out across the world and will hurt so many more vulnerable people. I fully understand how hard it is to keep turning toward the pain. Trust me. But this post is actual evidence of what kind of good and what kind of change is possible when people don’t turn away.
So much is possible, maybe everything is possible, if we just don’t turn away.
I will leave you with this video Andriy sent a couple days ago. It came at a moment when gratitude was hard to access. Maybe it will help you appreciate your little corner too.
