SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began more than two weeks ago. The impact of war is personal in the Sacramento region, which is home to one of the largest Slavic and Ukrainian communities. Many are wondering how they can help.
ABC10 talked to Nova Ukraine, a Bay area-based non-profit organization, dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and raising awareness about the Eastern European country in the United States.
Yulia Zimmermann, former director of Nova Ukraine, says there are many ways to support the people of Ukraine during the Russian invasion,
Provide monetary donations. Make sure to find a trusted organization that has a presence in Ukraine and is swiftly able to distribute resources to those impacted.
Volunteer your time. Nova Ukraine is looking for volunteers willing to be advocates in their local community. Volunteering spans organizing presentations, fundraisers, and events, and helping partner with new organizations.
Educate yourself about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how it developed. Talk to your family and friends about what’s unfolding.
Look for employer-matched donation programs at your workplace. Your employer might be able to match your donation to an organization that is providing resources to the Ukrainian people.
“Every action matters and every action can save [a] life,” says Zimmermann. “So, we have to stay strong and continue to stand with Ukraine and do whatever we can until this war is over.”
Here is where you can donate to support the Ukrainian people.
World Relief Sacramento is a refugee and immigrant services agency that is currently advocating and petitioning for the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees to resume in Sacramento, especially considering that many Ukrainians in the region have family members affected. Donating to the agency supports refugees and immigrants rebuilding their lives in Northern California. World Relief is also seeking partner organizations on the ground in Ukraine to support during this time.
Two local restaurants in Sacramento are donating all their proceeds from Tuesday, March 15, 2022, to Thursday, March 17, 2022, to Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that is providing emergency medical assistance and disaster relief to Ukraine.
Alexandra Trent, owner of GEICO West Sacramento is hosting a dollar-for-dollar campaign that will match up to $2,500 until Thursday, Mar. 31, 2022. All proceeds will go to Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that is providing emergency medical assistance and disaster relief to Ukraine.
Alexandra is a veteran and was a medic for wounded soldiers during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her experience seeing the atrocities of war first hand and the impact for people most in need of medical supplies and first aid resonates with her deeply. As a first-time business owner, she wanted to find a way to help the people of Ukraine.
Lyubov Love is seeking monetary donations that will go towards medical supplies, warm clothing, hygiene products, and other necessities for the Ukrainian people. On Mar. 15, 2022, she will travel to Poland with the Crisis Response International Team to help refugees escaping Ukraine.
The First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Sacramento is asking for monetary and physical donations. The church’s website says cash is the most effective way to purchase supplies quickly in neighboring countries and distribute them to Ukrainians.
The Spring of Life Church is hosting a fundraiser to help provide humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people. The GoFundMe page says volunteers from the church are in Ukraine and Poland providing food and shelter for refugees and medical supplies and care for injured and wounded civilians.
The women’s medical clinic is seeking donations for Ukrainian mothers and babies including diapers, wipes, formulas, and baby clothes. The center is working with a family, who has done past missions to Ukraine, who will be coordinating the donations to the people of Ukraine.
You can donate on the center’s Amazon Wishlist, “Alternatives Pregnancy Center Wish List” or drop it off at the center, 1111 Howe Ave, #610 Sacramento, CA 95825 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm during the weekday. They have extended hours until 7 pm on Thursdays. The donation drive is until Friday, Mar. 18, 2022.
The Bay Area non-profit organization provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine with the help of other non-profits and volunteers. Currently, they are focusing their efforts on securing medical supplies for the Ukrainian people.
As tensions rise in eastern Ukraine, UNICEF is ramping up efforts to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of children and families whose lives and futures hang in the balance.
Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support to children and helps them overcome the consequences of armed conflict.
The International Red Cross has been on the ground for years, delivering food, fuel for heating, medical supplies, and support for housing to those living close to the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. The Red Cross teams now in Ukraine will continue their work to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities with medicines and equipment, and support families with food and hygiene items.
The children in Eastern Ukraine have grown up in conflict for the past eight years, enduring violence, shelling, and displacement.
Save the Children works in the hardest-to-reach places to make sure the children get the help they need.
The agency needs help to ensure it can continue to provide life-saving protection to families forced to flee their homes in Ukraine.
UNHCR has stepped up its operations and capacity in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Donations can help ensure that Ukrainians forced to flee their homes are sheltered and safe.
Donations will help CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund reach four million with immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance — prioritizing women and girls, families, and the elderly.
The IRC is on the ground in Poland and preparing to support displaced families looking for help.
Project HOPE is actively shipping essential medicines and medical supplies to affected areas in Ukraine.
