When Russian aggression in Ukraine escalated into occupation of Ukrainian territory, deadly conflicts and full-scale war, Ukrainian people at home and abroad joined together to defend the homeland. Courageous Ukrainian men and women took a stand against a foreign super-power and, by their example, inspired a group of Ukrainian Americans to support Ukraine in this difficult time. Founded in 2014, United Help Ukraine, Inc. (UHU) has existed to ensure that the people on the frontlines are cared for when they come home wounded, and that their families are supported when the fighters do not come home at all. UHU also provides support for those displaced from eastern Ukraine by the fighting.
A charitable non-profit 501(c)(3), UHU is a 100-percent volunteer-based organization. Over the past three years, its volunteers have dedicated tremendous time and effort to fulfilling UHU’s four principal initiatives: 1) Medical Aid, 2) Defender’s Aid, 3) Humanitarian Aid, and 4) Raising Awareness. Thanks to their tireless work and the generosity of donors, UHU has raised more than $245,140 toward its four initiatives since the organization’s inception. Together with hundreds of volunteer hours – and less than 0.7 percent of donations going toward operating costs – UHU has effectively funded numerous projects necessary to carry out its key objectives.
As part of its Medical Aid initiative, UHU purchased a state-of-the-art 3-D scanner and delivered it to the Nodus rehabilitation clinic in Kyiv. The 3-D scanner is now used by Ukrainian doctors in their treatments of soldiers, including both drafted and volunteer warriors. UHU also ships massive containers of medical supplies to Ukraine. For example, in 2016, UHU shipped a 40-foot container with 20 pallets of medical supplies donated by the Brother’s Brother Foundation. Supplies were then distributed to various hospitals in Ukraine, with a special focus on hospitals close to the frontlines. UHU also works diligently to raise money to fund life-saving medical treatment for wounded Ukrainian warriors. In recent months, individual fighters were able to receive rehabilitation therapy, mobility vehicles and vital medical treatment because UHU absorbed those costs.
The musical ensemble Gerdan and Andrew Kraus perform a charitable concert at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington on March 3. United Help Ukraine members, guests and donors gather to acknowledge the night’s charitable and musical accomplishments.
In furtherance of its Defenders Aid initiative, UHU has supplied fighters on the frontlines with first aid kits, including gauze, blood-clotting medicine and combat application tourniquets. The organization has also shipped uniforms, boots and thermal clothing, as well as new socks, undergarments and t-shirts to the wounded at Ukrainian hospitals.
UHU’s Humanitarian Aid initiative touches the lives of men, women and children affected by the war. Through its shipments of children’s clothing and toys, UHU was able to help the children of fallen pilots from Brody, the children of the Donbas Battalion defenders, the children of fallen warriors in the Kyiv region, and the children in the Volyn region whose fathers were killed or are missing in action. UHU’s supplies of adult clothing and medicine helped alleviate the burden on the families of fighters and the wounded in hospitals.
In response to its many efforts, UHU regularly receives touching letters of thanks, images of wounded warriors receiving the vital treatment they need and photographs of toys distributed to children. These gestures are priceless for UHU’s volunteers and generous donors. As long as their homeland is under attack, UHU volunteers will stand by Ukraine’s people across the ocean and lend their unwavering support.
Finally, UHU works tirelessly in its Raising Awareness initiative to host events, organize fund-raisers and lead public protests. To generate awareness about Russia’s war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, UHU has developed relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders in the United States and Ukraine. By partnering with the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, for example, UHU is able to host high-profile fund-raising events which generate necessary capital for its programs while helping to carry its message through media outlets to the public at large. UHU events occur regularly and are widely advertised on its website (www.unitedhelpukraine.org), on its Facebook page and in The Ukrainian Weekly.
United Help Ukraine members and community organizers gather following a political rally on the National Mall in Washington in February.