Piggy Bank for Denis's Family in Ukraine

Please help my friend Denis in Kharkov, Ukraine!

 

There are tanks and bombing in the street below him. He has a wife and young son, and adorable dog, and I want to see them all safe as soon as possible! His son's school has been damaged, and the power has been off for 3 days. Denis's employer has abruptly left Ukraine and his income has been shut off. They are in need of funds for survival and to travel to get to safety!

I have known Denis for about 5 years now as we share a common interest in exploring the great outdoors. Below this you will find the original  text for the fundraiser which was started before Russia invaded Ukraine and began bombing his city. Originally it was just for fun, for supporting Denis's bus fares to go enjoy his hobby. Now, Denis is really no longer concerned about that, but literally the survival of his family. 

 

If you want to do something to help the people of Ukraine, here is a simple way to make sure that your donation is not going to a scam, it's not being delayed or watered down by the overhead of a charity and you don't even know what they do with the money. You are helping a real family in desperate need. I will soon post an update about the banking system and how your funds will get to Denis, for those concerned about where/how the money will get to him.

Thank you for your generous contributions! -- Patty


<original fundraiser text below>

 

Hello everyone, I would like to introduce you to my Ukrainian friend Denis Kolesnikoff, who has been an active amateur archaeologist for over 20 years, recovering fascinating relics of Ukraine's past from obscure but historically significant sites. I have launched this modest cross-cultural fundraiser to help Denis get to his dig sites in the spring of 2022, and to help enlighten you about the interesting and worthy life of a Ukrainian man on a mission.

 

Here is Denis's request:

 

"Hello everyone, my name is Denis, I live in Ukraine about 20 miles from the Russian border, and I have a goal of establishing a museum in Ukraine. I have been interested in finding artifacts for almost 20 years in a row. I have been searching for artifacts by conducting research using maps and historical documents, and by searching the ground in promising sites using a metal detector and targeted excavation by hand as part of a search team.

 

"This year I am left without a team -- there were three of us -- but one of my team fell ill and can no longer continue, and the other, our driver, changed jobs and cannot participate at this time. Now I will have to travel solo to sites using public transport, which in Ukraine is much more expensive than dividing the cost of gasoline by three people. You might wonder why don't I find a new team? I'm sure of my old friends, and not sure of casual acquaintances. Corruption is everywhere here, and the value of some artifacts can push people to sell or trade items for export, which would forever separate them from their relationship to the place where they were found. I am not ready to put my trust in strangers so I plan to search alone this year.

 

"However, I do not own a car. For me, bus travel is an unbearably expensive cost, so I want to humbly ask for help from those who are now in a better financial position. One day's bus fare will cost me about $20, more than the daily cost of my apartment! Would you be willing to purchase a bus ticket for me?

 

"I hope that with your kindness I will not miss the difficult but interesting spring season, when melting snow has destroyed last year's standing grass, and arable fields are not yet planted with wheat and sunflowers, revealing previously hidden interesting places to search.

 

"Thank you all for your support in advance!" - Denis

 

*Please note that I have promised to act as a financial intermediary for the fundraiser for Denis and will receive payments on his behalf at my bank, and then make transfers to him through a slightly convoluted process that converts US Dollars to Ukrainian Hryvnia and then legally makes deposits into his bank account. Your contributions are permissible gifts under United States law and do not represent a loan or establish any financial relationship or debt with a Ukrainian person. You will not be receiving, and Denis will not be providing, any product, item, or service. - Patty