August Mission

We need an 18-wheeler to bring food and medicine into Ukraine

Volunteers with August Mission have been driving medical supplies, food, and other humanitarian aid weekly across the Polish-Ukrainian border for six months.

We’re fortunate that we have a steady stream of donated supplies — more than we can transport in our makeshift fleet.

The time has come for us to buy a 32-pallet truck.

The cost of hiring trucks and drivers has skyrocketed, and we have much more aid to move than we can carry in our fleet of vans. By purchasing our own 32-pallet truck, we will be able to save tens of thousands of dollars that we currently spend on third party trucking companies.

A Polish trucking company is willing to sell us a used truck in good condition.

My name is Norbert Szczepanski. I am one of the volunteers who drives across the border. I’m making this request on behalf of the 30+ volunteers at August Mission and the people of Ukraine who desperately need our help.

By making this purchase, we estimate we can cut our transport costs by more than 70%. Please help us get this humanitarian aid where it needs to go.

Learn more about August Mission’s work in Ukraine here: https://augustmission.org

August Mission is a nonprofit that helps refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We have a team of 8 volunteers in the city of Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine led by CEO Bruce Roberts with country managers Norbert Szczepanski and Viktoriia Tarasiuk. They have partnered with the city council to provide houses for widows of fallen soldiers and people that had to relocate after losing their homes to the war.

We have identified houses about 30 miles outside the city that can be purchased for around $6,000 each. We plan to buy ten. City councilman Yuri Shelest has local Ukrainian volunteers who will renovate the properties. Once the properties are renovated, we will publish videos of the key handover ceremony with the war widows and displaced people who will then own the homes.

These people have had a tough time because of the war and could use your support. So please consider donating, share this with your friends and family, and follow us on social media so you don't miss the handover ceremony videos!

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My name is Matt Gregson. I grew up in Idaho and was blessed with an opportunity to become a Physician Assistant. I have worked in gastroenterology for the past 7 years. I have always felt that someone "needs" to go help when there is some tragedy. My life has changed and now allows me to be the person that helps. Due to the current situation in Ukraine and my skill set, I felt the need to volunteer to go to Ukraine. I was able to visit a children’s hospital in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine and speak with several members of their nursing staff.

 

The Khmelnytskyi City Children's Hospital is set up to treat 6 infants at a time. However, I was told that they can be trying to manage up to twelve. Patient rooms handle 2+ children per room. There are no curtains to separate one child from another. If one child is dying, the staff have to try and hurry to move the other child/ children from the room. I was able to see two surgical patients. One had peritonitis, and they didn’t know the English words for the diagnosis for the other. These two boys were in beds that were, at best, 5 feet apart.

 

Their newest equipment is from 2000. Due to city funding limitations, they don’t know when or if ever they will get new medical equipment. They have 9 respirators, of which only 5 are working. The nurses told me that these are the highest need machines. Air to patient rooms is supplied by compressors that they have moved into a single room and have connected to a homemade manifold. The portable X-ray machine is one of the oldest I can recall seeing. They have stated that other needs include: patient monitors and infusion pumps.

 

I am here with August Mission. They are a group that helps across the world. They have access to resources locally and can acquire the necessary medical equipment. The money provided would be able to help local economies as well as provide the essential equipment. I would actually be able to deliver the equipment to the children's hospital. We are asking for $30,000. Any amount would be great. Please, do what you are comfortable with.