United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc.(UUARC)

I’m a Ukrainian American woman who has resented her identity as a Ukrainian – a “Uke” – for most of my life. I didn’t feel welcomed by Ukrainian Americans as I continued to speak English rather than Ukrainian. Feeling unwelcome and deciding to dismiss myself before others got the chance, I dropped out of the Ukrainian grade school, Ukrainian church, Ukrainian dance ensemble, Ukrainian soccer team, Ukrainian ski club, Ukrainian scouting organization, Ukrainian Saturday school. You get it.

We all feel insecure about something. Language is a big reason to feel belonging or alienation (I’m reading a book about this) but, of course, insecurities take endless forms. In Silicon Valley, I’ve built a tribe of high-performing women who talk about our personal insecurities and perennial imposter syndrome. Through the pandemic era, I’ve related to the broader communities facing insecurity – from the Black Lives Matter protesters to the Asians and Pacific Islanders facing violence to the MAGA-supporting Midwesterners struggling for work. Movements – for the better or worse – happen when communities are tired of being told they just. Aren’t. Good. Enough.

Ukraine is good enough. This is why you should be paying attention to what’s happening there at this moment in history. If you’ve ever felt alienated or like you don’t belong, then you empathize with the gaslighting that Ukraine has received from Russian authorities (et al.) for centuries. It is within Ukrainians’ core experience to be told that our motherland is just not good enough for democracy and sovereignty.

It’s common for young Ukrainians, myself included, to read and recite poetry by Taras Shevchenko, a 19th Century Ukrainian serf who wrote about the Ukrainian struggle against Russia. Before my grandfather died, he used to sit and recite Shevchenko poetry with me in Ukrainian. In unison, we recited prose about the glorious Dnipro River and the dream to break free from the chains.

You imagine being told your entire life you’re not good enough to run your own home. That mindset breeds insecurity and fear. I’m tired of resenting my identity for that baggage.

Instead, I’m opting for unity with Ukrainians. Unity with Ukraine to insist: the country is good enough.

Please join me in donating to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to aid Ukrainians facing insecurity today. All aid will be coordinated with the UUARC, World Congress of Ukrainians, UCCA, USAID, and other country efforts for Ukraine.

Income will be reported in Bulk numbers (not by individual donors). All distributed aid will be reported on UUARC’s website: https://www.uuarc.org/

The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc (UUARC) was established in 1944 and has been assisting Ukrainians in refugee camps ever since. Today, UUARC is fundraising to provide vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I grew up in Ukraine, in Chernivtsi. When I visited in the fall of 2018 my father and I visited huts made of logs, Austrian and Polish palaces, new modern mansions, old dachas and grand public parks. It was golden leaf season, for which Ukraine is famous, and everyone - the old babushkas and the young boys and the men in suits were gathering up leaves to burn into small piles. It seemed to me that every family was lighting a small signal flare, asking the world to notice, if only once a year in the fall.

 

I'm asking you to take notice too. Today, the country is actually on fire. The picture above is me outside the apartment complex I grew up in. The one next to it is the same Khrushchev era building on Februrary 23rd. If not for my parent's decision to apply for a refugee visa in the 90s, I would most likely be holding a gun right now. This is a personal appeal from me to you to help out a population in need. There are many causes you could support, and you should. This one just happens to be mine.

 

My employer will match up to $25,000 in donations, and I'll get us started with $5000. Thanks in advance.

 

A note: Russia is good at disinformation. Not everywhere you give will actually get the money into the hands of those in need (this is generally the case). My friend Melanie Duzyj and I wrote to UUARC, called them, checked all of the charity ratings and looked at their 990 forms. These folks know how and where to deploy funds, and have been doing it since World War II.

 

United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc (UUARC) was established in 1944 and started fulfilling its mission of “brother-to-brother” by assisting Ukrainians in refugee camps during and after WWII, and then helping to resettle more than 70,000 of these refugees in the United States. Since its beginning, UUARC has endeavored to provide aid where the need is the greatest and assisted countless Ukrainians throughout the world.

 

Currently, UUARC is raising funds to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of war in Ukraine after further invasion of Russia onto Ukrainian soil and conflict escalation. With millions of potential victims in Ukraine, UUARC is fundraising to provide vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected.

 

UUARC is working closely with UCCA, UWC, USAID, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the coordination of aid.

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc.(UUARC), and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc.(UUARC): Humanitarian Aid To Ukrainian Orphans,Elderly, Families And Individuals Living In Ukraine And Worldwide.

A message from Bhavnit Lukka | March 21st, 2022

The events in Ukraine have shocked the world and we have people that have been personally affected by the crisis while others of you have asked how you can help. As a COFS team, we will be working with one of our own, Yuliya Lyashchun, to help support the people of Ukraine during this difficult time. We have decided to provide a voluntary donation opportunity through GoFundMe. All contributions will support the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee.

Read more below about Yuliya’s personal connection to Ukraine and the work being done by the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee. 

Please know that any donation you consider is completely voluntary and you have no obligation to give.

A Message from Yuliya Lyashchun:

 

As a Ukrainian-American, I am touched by everyone’s continued support and kind words. I am deeply invested in cultivating solidarity and support to aid the refugees in need. My family is deeply rooted in Ukraine and I spent the first seven years of my life there. Unfortunately, this is not the first time my family members and the people of Ukraine have experienced war. Still, the Ukrainian people maintain a strong sense of tenacity and hope. On behalf of all Ukrainians, I would like to thank KPMG for the generous monetary aid and continued support during this difficult time that you may have read about on KPMG Today. Bhavnit Lukka and I would like to provide a supplemental donation opportunity for our COFS team. All contributions will support the non-profit, United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, which provides humanitarian aid in Ukraine by offering vital medical supplies, food, and shelter.

 

If interested, please utilize the GoFundMe site and contribute. Each contribution provides assistance for the refugees in Ukraine who have been displaced from their homes.

This is for the Ukraine and their cause. We feel so bad. My friend is a retarded Ukrainian, and he wants to help. Personally, I think they're gay af, but my friend wants to help, so that’s what I’m gonna do. But ngl, fu##### all yall Ukraine fu####. Ight, that’s it.

You can make a difference by donating today to UUARC's mission of providing humanitarian aid to the victims of war in Ukraine 2022
 
Your donations will be used for the purchase of medical supplies and equipment sent to our contacts and volunteer network in Ukraine.
 
Currently UUARC is raising funds to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of war in Ukraine after further invasion of Russia onto Ukrainian soil and conflict escalation.

With millions of potential victims in Ukraine, UUARC is fundraising to provide vital medical supplies to victims, care for the injured and refugees, as well as shelter and food to those affected.

UUARC is working closely with UCCA, UWC, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the coordination of aid.

United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc (UUARC) was established in 1944 and started fulfilling its mission of “brother-to-brother” by assisting Ukrainians in refugee camps during and after WWII, and then helping to resettle more than 70,000 of these refugees in the United States. Since it's beginning, UUARC has endeavored to provide aid where the need is the greatest, as well as assisted countless Ukrainians throughout the world.

 

Donations can also be made directly to:

United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc.

1206 Cottman Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19111

 

Direct Donations Link

 

UUARC is a non-profit organization recognized by the IRS under Article 501(c)3, every gift is tax-deductible and the donor receives an acknowledgement for the donation.

https://vimeo.com/user150389105/review/681379108/96a80110dd