On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian tanks crossed the Ukrainian border officially starting a war in Eastern Europe that has lasted for more than a year.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions of Ukrainians displaced including a quarter of a million who now live in the United States.
As their cities and homes are destroyed, the people of Ukraine are in constant need of assistance. Amid the ongoing tensions with Russia, several organizations are holding fundraisers and donation collections to help.
Here is a list of national and local groups who are helping with this effort. Click on the name of the organization to learn how to donate.
If you ever have a question about whether an organization is legitimate or not, visit the Better Business Bureau website to research the group before you submit payment.
National Organizations
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 4 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.
United Help Ukraine helps with the purchase of important medicine, medical scissors, scalpels, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, CATs and components of IFAKs.
As hostilities continue, assuring people’s access to health care and medicines will be critical. Doctors Without Borders runs a range of activities in Ukraine, including tuberculosis (TB) and HIV programs.
Additional organizations can be found here.
Local Organizations
Mulberry International partners with local groups to reach displaced people and at-risk families in Ukraine. The organization has people in Ukraine so they can meet the most imminent needs.
Love the Hungry gives nourishing meals to children and families vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition around the world. The organization hosts several meal packing events at different locations throughout the city.
WaterStep helps people gain access to safe, clean drinking water. It has worked in more than 60 countries. The organization has sent kits to Ukrainians to clean their drinking water, sterilize wounds and more.
SOS International provides critical medical supplies and equipment. To date, they have helped people in over 106 countries.
Refugees
If Ukrainian refugees come to Louisville, groups including the Americana World Community Center, Catholic Charities of Louisville and Kentucky Refugee Ministries will assist with that effort.
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