Urgent Appeal from Aussie Volunteer in Ukraine

In early-May 2022, I boarded a flight from Adelaide, Australia and drove from the UK to Romania to assist Ukrainian refugees. A chance phone call led me to School 35, a “front line” city, where a selfless group of over 70 Ukrainian volunteers provide the first direct aid to the daily stream of refugees and displaced persons from the east & south-east of Ukraine.

 

Once upon a time, School 35’s Odesa Hub was a vibrant school. Today, the building is a humanitarian centre spearheaded by Julia – a multi-tasking Ukrainian local who is as competent and focused as she is warm and energetic. School 35 is her initiative.

 

Each day, Julia’s Odesa Hub looks after the immediate needs of around two hundred newly arrived refugees. These refugees and displaced persons are typically from Mariupol, Melitopol and Kherson regions. They are all escaping areas of fighting, destruction, Russian attacks, or the oppression of Russian occupation. Many have arrived in Odesa with little more than the clothes they wear and a small bag of meagre personal effects. Many have witnessed unspeakable horrors.

 

As volunteers, we provide them with food, hygiene products and clothing. There is a fully staffed kitchen and dining hall that feeds both refugees and volunteers.

 

HOW YOUR DONATION WILL BE DIRECTLY PUT TO WORK ~ In conjunction with some dedicated supporters in Australia, my role is to raise funds to purchase as many First Response Welfare Aid Packs as possible. School 35 will distribute these Welfare Aid Packs as part of its daily assistance to newly arrived refugees. A typical Welfare Aid Pack costs 51 Euros or AUD$77 and provides sufficient food to last five to seven days.

 

In addition to the Welfare Aid Packs, donations will also be directed to my “Help the Helpers” initiative. Many of the volunteers have been here since the start of the war in late February. Many have had no income since that time and yet selflessly come in every day. We will provide a small stipend to the core of volunteers who come in daily and are the lifeblood which keeps the heart of the organization beating. This will help them pay for essential expenses such as their utility bills. Many of them are themselves refugees.

 

A HEART FELT THANK YOU ~ Every donation is enormously appreciated by everyone here at School 35. There are so many people to help daily, and together we can make a difference. Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal and please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email redacted] if you want further information about School 35 and its incredible team.

You can follow the volunteering efforts of the team from my instagram: @oconnem1