Mothers’ March, Mariupol Flashmob, and Flag Raising: Razom’s Advocacy Work for Ukraine

Published: March 27, 2022

Razom has been calling on international leaders and U.S. elected representatives to #CloseTheSky, get #PlanesForUkraine, and #IsolateRussia. To all of you that have come out to a rally, a picket, dialed through a telethon, tweeted up a storm, or engaged your friends and family in discussion on how they can stand with Ukraine, we are immensely grateful. Thanks to our network of volunteers and partner organizations in Ukraine, we promise to continue to keep our ear to the ground to advocate for what will make a difference in healing the humanitarian crisis brought on by russia’s invasion.

As of March 27, there are over 130 children that have been killed as a result of russian bombs and missiles targeting civilians in Ukraine. Let that number sink in. Ukraine is paying a high price in its continued fight for freedom that is a fight for the entire free world. The Mothers’ March took place in New York City over two days the week of March 21 to raise awareness about children being targeted by russian bombs and missiles. Mariupol, a city in southeastern Ukraine, in particular has been a poignant example of this after the Drama Theater (sheltering over 1,000 women and children) was targeted and bombed by russian forces and left without food or water for days due to continued shelling in the area, making rescue operations nearly impossible.

#SaveUkrainianChildren Mothers’ March on March 19 2022

Razom volunteers organized a flashmob at New York’s Grand Central Station during the same week to bring attention to the death toll in the city of Mariupol, a port town similar in population size to Virginia Beach in the U.S. We showed up to deliver our message to #SaveMariupol so that it was carried home across the tristate area by everyone who walked by.

Flashmob at New York’s Grand Central Station on March 23, 2022

That same day on March 23rd, the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams and Ukraine’s General Consul in New York, Oleksii Holubov, joined us for his address to the Ukrainian-American community and friends of Ukraine at the raising of the Ukrainian and American flags at historic Bowling Green in lower Manhattan, a location that holds a lot of historical significance for the United States’ own fight for independence. From Bowling Green, General Washington witnessed the last British troops leave American soil and the American flag raised on its own. Bowling Green later became the first public park in the U.S. It’s the only place in New York City where flags are raised from all over the world, as has been done hundreds of times since 1996.

After a little over a month of this war, don’t let apathy set in. The Ukrainian flag at Bowling Green won’t come down until Ukraine is victorious. And Ukraine will be victorious. Make it happen sooner: keep showing up when it matters.

New York has the largest Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine and we are proud of that energy and spirit. Any conflict that plays out on a global scale, plays out on the streets of New York City… Today we are united, we stand with you, we are part of the Ukrainian people in saying that we will never surrender, never give in.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaking at the raising of Ukrainian & American flags at Bowling Green

Newsletter #7: Our impact is scaling, our voices need to be heard

Published: March 22, 2022

We start this newsletter with a moment of gratitude for all of you, followed by an update on the latest impact stories, and ending with a list of community engagement and advocacy resources.

Dear Razom Community,

From all of us, thank you wholeheartedly every donor for the support of Razom’s work in this trying time of crisis. Your donations are going toward providing critical aid relief, support for displaced persons, and amplifying Ukraine’s story and the voices of Ukrainians. In a couple of months we’ll be able to acknowledge and write to each and every one of you. Your support gives us hope and strength. But right now, we ask for your patience as we work tirelessly to transform your money into support in the right hands in Ukraine.

The latest updates on progress and impact of the Razom Emergency Response Project:

You can now become a part of the Razom procurement team by buying humanitarian aid items that are urgently needed but not impossible to find off of our Amazon Custom Gift List. Razom volunteers will deliver and sort the items in our New Jersey warehouse with Meest before shipping it out Ukraine.
An Americares donation of the most critically needed hospital supplies has been delivered to the Cancer Institute of Kyiv in Ukraine that includes 9.5 pallets with 921 cases totaling 6,283 pounds of supplies that will be distributed to several more hospitals in Kyiv.
Razom’s procurement of a defibrillator, insulin, and other important medicines like metformin, glimepiride, levothyroxine was delivered to the Ukrainian Diabetes Association in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Luhansk regions. We accomplished this in partnership with volunteers at AWO Ortsverein Reischach – AG and Ukraine-HILFE Berlin e.V.
Razom volunteers have made a total of 7 trips carrying tactical medicine cargo to various volunteer civilian defense corps prioritizing cities and regions where Ukrainians are actively repelling russian occupiers.
Razom has secured 50 drones across the Polish border that will be used to ensure the safe delivery of medical and tactical medical supplies by our volunteers traveling across hotspot areas in Ukraine.
Razom issued a grant to long-time partner BUR (Building Ukraine Together) to support their programs helping internally displaced people in Ukraine by renovating infrastructure, building shelter camps for IDPs, and offering humanitarian aid across Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv. We continue to support and collaborate with them.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who work on the “second front” of this war! None of this impact would have been possible without your unwavering determination to getting the work done.

This week there are a number of events and rallies for you to join to help advocate for Ukraine and/or fundraise for Razom’s Emergency Response Project. We hope to see you there!

Please join Mayor Adams along with the honorable Oleksii Holubov, Ukrainian Consulate General, and Prominent Ukrainians, Ukrainian-Americans and Friends of Ukraine to raise the Ukrainian Flag in Bowling Green Park today, Wednesday, March 23rd at 4:30 pm. The Ukrainian flag will fly every day beside the American flag until Ukraine is victorious and the russian invaders are gone.
Later that same day, join us at Grand Central Terminal at 6:30pm to witness or be a part of a Flash Mob Protest to #SaveMariupol. Mariupol has been under near constant siege for several weeks and seen some of the worst attacks in the war, including deadly strikes on a maternity ward of a hospital, the bombing of a theater housing over a thousand civilians (the losses from which are still unknown), amongst other horrific events. For more details and to become a part of the Flash Mob Protest, please join our Signal group https://bit.ly/SAVEMARIUPOL
Sunday, March 27th will be a National Day of Action to #StandWithUkraine including a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Let’s seize this moment to call on the world to act now to help Ukrainians continue fighting for freedom and democracy and for Ukraine’s right to thrive and survive.
All the proceeds from a Charity Gala Event on Sunday, April 3rd at the Oceana Theater in Brooklyn will be going to Razom’s Emergency Response project. The event will be performance-based, with the acts varying from music (performances from KAZKA and Alyosha amongst others), children’s choir and dance, speeches, and video blocks (feat. Okean Elzy, Jamala, and Max Barskih).

As always, keep in touch with us via this newsletter, our blog, and our social media channels where we share more real-time info you need to know to stand with Ukraine. Consider making a gift to Razom or our partner organizations (like BUR!) for us to continue to do this work. We are awed by your tremendous support.

Stay Razom.

BUR Supporting Displaced Families

Published: March 21, 2022

We’d like to share an important update from our partner Building Ukraine Together (BUR) about how they have adapted their activities to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) since the russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2022.

Thousands of displaced families are in need of your help. Schools and community halls are being made available, but there is an immediate need for basic items – beds blankets, cooking utensils, and personal hygiene products. You can support BUR’s work by donating below. As a Razom partner, these donations are 501(c)3 deductible.

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BUR’s key areas of operation right now are:

Cooperating with organizations to meet the needs of their volunteers who are at the forefront of defending Ukrainian freedom.
Communicating with volunteers who remain in the combat zone about humanitarian needs and evolving situation in the country.
Organizing the logistics of delivering supplies from Lviv to different Ukrainian cities.

In the early days of the full-scale war, Razom issued a $50,000 grant to support this work. Below is an overview of how those funds were used:

Procuring and delivering humanitarian aid – ranging from food, medicines, to sleeping bags – in Lviv, Kharkiv, Skadovsk and Kherson.
Preparing and delivering food for territorial defense units (civilian volunteers) and hospitals in Kharkiv.
Vehicle rentals for the transportation of this aid and evacuations of civilians (specifically from Kharkiv to Dnipro).
Purchasing of chainsaws for territorial defense units (civilian volunteers) and Emergency Services of Kharkiv to dismantle debris from the destruction and rescue people from rubble.

You can find updates from BUR on their social media:

https://www.facebook.com/BuildingUkraineTogether

https://instagram.com/burburbuuur

Building Ukraine Together (BUR) is a program of the “Ukrainian Educational Platform“, which creates opportunities for youth to make changes in their country through volunteering. Ukrainian Educational Platform is a charitable organization (2000-2021 – Lviv Education Foundation). It has impacted positive change with more than 10 years of experience in social transformations. They believe in Ukraine, they unite, educate, and support people with leadership potential who create vibrant local communities through volunteer, educational, and social projects.

All-American #StandWithUkraine Telethon

Published: March 18, 2022

On Tuesday 22 March, put aside 15 minutes to call your Representatives in Congress and demand more support for Ukraine. It’s easy, but the impact is real. Join us!

On Tuesday, March 22, call your representatives in Congress and demand more support for Ukraine.
Click here to join the Facebook event. Mark your calendar now!

Here’s how:

Set aside 15 minutes in your day on Tuesday 22 March between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Click here to find your Representatives.
Call each of your Representatives at the listed number. Yes, you must call each one of them.
If there is an option to leave a message – leave a message. If someone from the Representative’s office picks up, ask to leave a message for the Representative.
Here’s the script:

My name is __________, my zip code is _________, and I am calling as a (Ukrainian-American) constituent of Representative ____________ who is concerned about russia’s violent war against Ukraine. I demand more support for Ukraine on any and all levels possible so that Ukraine can win the war and protect the values of liberty, freedom, and democracy for us all. The US government should be doing everything possible to help Ukraine win the war. Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an assault on us all.

As my representative I strongly ask you to advocate to:

1. Increase military spending for military planes, anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons for Ukraine. Support Ukraine to protect its airspace and defend itself.

2. Increase targeted sanctions against Russian oligarchs and elites who stash assets and money in the US.

3. Increase monetary, military, and humanitarian support for Ukraine, and work with Ukraine’s strategic partners around the world to increase this support multilaterally.

All of these actions are critical for our country’s security. Thank you for representing my concerns in these urgent issues.

(Feel free to customize the script as you see fit. Feel free to tell a short, personal story.)

Call or text a friend and ask them to call their Representatives in Congress, too. Give them these instructions.
Post on social media that you’ve just finished calling your Representatives in Congress and demanding more support for Ukraine. Use the hashtags #StandWithUkraine and #PlanesForUkraine.
That’s it! You’ve probably saved some lives by just making a few phone calls.

Ukraine thanks you!

CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE SPREADSHEET WITH
SENATORS’ PHONE NUMBERS AND THEIR STANCES ON UKRAINE.

Newsletter #6: Each one of us can do something for Ukraine

Published: March 16, 2022

In this newsletter, you’ll find a bunch of ways to advocate for Ukraine and help make an impact for Ukrainians in active war zones across the country. We’ll also guide you to places where you can discover more amazing Ukrainian culture.

Maybe not all of us can be showing up at Times Square everyday to rally the US to #StandWithUkraine and #CloseTheSky, so Razom bought out a billboard there to remind people about this everyday.

In the meantime, continue to participate in the many advocacy campaigns, rallies, pickets, and events that raise awareness about the devastating destruction happening in Ukraine or showcase Ukrainian culture. We must call on various government bodies, companies, people in power, and the public at large to use their resources to influence positive outcomes in Ukraine and curtail the current humanitarian crisis.

Get out of bed now and make your way to 388 Greenwich St (if you’re in NYC!) to #BoycottRussia at CitiGroup HQ. They’re the US bank with the biggest footprint in Russia and there’s no time for major banks like Citi to continue funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- Here’s a comprehensive list of major brands and corporations that haven’t taken any action to isolate Russia, with an explainer on why it’s important to put pressure on them right now and how to do it.
Not in New York? Get yourself on twitter and participate in the #PlanesForUkraine Twitter Storm this Wednesday morning at 10am EST. You can get all the info and instructions on how to do it here. Hint: it’s ridiculously easy when compared to the kind of impact this advocacy can have.
On Friday night (3/18) Scandinavia House in New York will be screening a 2021 documentary National Museum, about the Ukrainian National Museum in Kyiv exploring what is cherished and revered by Ukrainians. Q&A with director Andrei Zagdansky will follow.
On Saturday night (3/19) you can go to Honey’s in Brooklyn for a Ukraine Fundraising Borscht Dinner and Dance Party where all proceeds from the dinner and donations at the door will go to supporting two charitable orgs in Kharkiv that provide aid for internally displaced persons.
On Sunday (3/20) you can take a fundraising walking tour of Little Ukraine in the East Village. You might run into a Razom volunteer on their way to another working session at our office there.
This weekend (18th – 20th) in New York City you can discover the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival featuring a number of artists currently in Ukraine fighting for their lives and their country. It will happen despite the current challenges with the hope of showcasing Ukrainian artists and music in a time when it matters most. Part of the proceeds will go to Razom.
On Monday (3/21) The Brick Theater in Williamsburg will host Brickflix – Benefit For Ukraine featuring Spoken Word by Yara Arts (sharing work by acclaimed Ukrainian poet Serhiy Zhadan), animated short Denis the Pirate, and film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. The Two Boots Pizza is free and all proceeds will go to Razom.
On Saturday (3/26) the Bohemian Benevolent Literary Association and Diverse Filmmaker Alliance in New York are hosting a benefit screening of The Long Breakup, a feature-length documentary on Ukraine’s struggle to escape Russia’s embrace and become a truly independent nation. A Q&A with the director Katya Soldak will follow. All proceeds will go to Razom.

Thanks to your donations, Razom has shipped 144 pallets of the most critical humanitarian aid to Ukraine thus far from the US, Europe, and Canada. If you go to Razom’s Blog you’ll find out about how some of the very first aid shipments of tacmed that we sent in the first days of the war, finally made their way into the hands of Ukrainians in Kyiv, Brovary, Zhytomyr, Poltava, and Sumy.

Please continue to support and raise awareness about this work so that Razom, and the incredible people involved in carrying out our Emergency Response Project, can keep providing critical humanitarian war relief and recovery in Ukraine depending on the most urgent needs as they evolve.

As Our Volunteer Team Grows, So Does Our Impact: Updates from Canada, Lviv and Sumy

Published: March 16, 2022

Today a brave group of volunteers delivered much needed tactical medicine supplies to Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine about 30 miles from the Russian border. It’s a city that’s been sustaining shelling and urban fighting since the moment of Russian invasion. Maybe we’ll get an extra hour of sleep knowing that Ukrainian people have the necessary medicine to defend their city.

Meanwhile halfway across the world, a group of Canadian Razom volunteers have built out partnerships and a logistical chain to be able to procure and ship tactical medical supplies from Toronto to Ukraine. They’ve partnered up with the Markham Rotary Club Foundation and NKS Health to fundraise, buy, and ship 13 pallets of tacmed so far. Check out how they do this work in more detail below:

Last but not least, we’ve grown our Razom team of volunteers at the Kryla Nadiyi warehouse in Lviv to 8 people (and soon more), who come to us from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in Ukraine, and who will be working there daily to accept Razom’s aid shipments that are arriving more consistently now. They’re sorting and organizing aid for further distribution so that we can get these supplies into the hands of Ukrainians as fast as humanly possible.

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Delivery of Aid & Supplies to Cities Across Ukraine

Published: March 14, 2022

Razom Emergency Response project continues to grow and develop at an incredible speed thanks to the support of our donors and dedicated volunteer network in the US and Ukraine. The war and resulting humanitarian crisis has only continued to escalate over the past week, putting our logistics operation on the ground in Ukraine into stark focus.

The first shipments of humanitarian aid procured by Razom delivered to Berdychiv in Zhytomyr Oblast on March 9th

The reality is that delivering aid past the warehouse of our partners at Kryla Nadiyi in western Ukraine is an extremely difficult task. The very first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) made it into the hands of civilian defense corps in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts on March 9th. It was four days later, on March 13th, that more aid made the journey east – this time by two mini buses heading to Kyiv (including Brovary) and Poltava (with an extra leg to Sumy) oblasts.

Russian forces are actively shelling and endangering transportation infrastructure across the country therefore safe routes are constantly changing. In addition, humanitarian needs on the ground change just as fast, if not faster. Speed and boots on the ground are of the essence. Razom has both, which gives us a unique chance to deliver the aid acquired abroad to the end user in Ukraine, knowing that your donations are in the right hands.

Aid is packed into small vehicles allowing volunteer drivers to maneuver more nimbly. Coordination with civilian defense corps (the ultimate volunteer network in Ukraine today) via satellite phones, which offer the most reliable form of communication, strengthen our logistics chain on the ground in Ukraine. There’s also a verbal verification system in place that ensures volunteers know they’re putting the delivery in safe hands. When available, small civilian drones are another important tool for our volunteers to scope out safe passage routes and share valuable information in real time. These tech enabled emergency response supplies have made a big impact on our volunteers’ ability to work effectively in executing the logistics chain in Ukraine. We are enormously grateful for the brave and trusted group of the people who carry out this work.

Tactical Medical Aid being prepped and loaded for distribution in Ukraine. Markings read “Sumy” and “Poltava”

As we celebrate each and every delivery of humanitarian aid that makes it into the hands of Ukrainians, we continue to follow a repeatable logistics process for procuring and delivering aid from abroad to warehouses in Poland and western Ukraine. Euromaidan Warszawa is our trusted partner in Warsaw that receives shipments procured throughout western Europe and delivers them to western Ukraine. Meest America is delivering shipments procured from the United States directly to Ukraine. So far, approximately $4M has been spent on tactical medical supplies, communications supplies, and logistics support. All of our aid is received in western Ukraine by our partners Kryla Nadiyi (Wings of Hope). They warehouse, sort, and prepare orders of aid that then gets distributed further. A small group of engineers, in collaboration with two Razom volunteers (in the US and Ukraine) have developed an online system to help track requests submitted by a centralized network of civilian defense corps central command. These requests then get cross referenced to active hotspots and prioritized based on safe routes.

The many faces of Kryla Nadiyi volunteers accepting, sorting, and organizing humanitarian aid for distribution across Ukraine

We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers and partner organizations who work daily on this project (most days staying up until 4am!) coordinating information, connecting volunteer networks, and helping to take in, protect, and distribute shipments donated through Razom. To our donors, your continued support ensures we can make an impact across more parts of Ukraine. We can’t wait to keep sharing those stories with you as they develop.

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#PlanesForUkraine Twitter Storm

Published: March 13, 2022

All are welcome, and highly encouraged, to take part in the Twitter Storm! Spread the word.
THE GOAL IS TO GET #PLANESFORUKRAINE TRENDING ON TWITTER

On Monday, 14 March, at 10:00am EST, open up this page and either COPY and PASTE each ready-made Tweet below OR click to Tweet automatically.

Ready-made Tweets: President Zelensky said it best: “This is not ping pong. This is about human lives.” Stop the politics. Send the planes now. #PlanesforUkraine #StandwithUkraine
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/105f9

@POTUS @USDoDGov It’s simple. Get them the planes, and Ukraine will handle the rest. #PlanesforUkraine #StandwithUkraine
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/HTga5

Don’t let Ukraine lose out because of a technicality and some fine print. Send the MIGs now. #PlanesforUkraine #StandwithUkraine @PLParliament @NATO
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/aa90a

Over 70% of Americans demand the U.S. government provide more weapons to Ukraine according to @Reuters. Help the Ukrainian military defend its skies with #PlanesforUkraine #StandwithUkraine @POTUS @JoeBiden
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/7Gkac

What happened to the Budapest Memorandum, @POTUS and @10DowningStreet? Security assurances are security assurances. #PlanesForUkraine must be delivered NOW! #StandwithUkraine
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/bUd07

Ukraine is a modern, vibrant country that deserves the right to self-determination and peace. It also deserves the military aircraft it needs to defend itself. #PlanesForUkraine #StandwithUkraine @USNATO @jensstoltenberg
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ac/7292e

Ukrainians have proven to the world that they are willing to stop tanks with their bare hands to defend their country and democracy against russian invasion. #PlanesForUkraine is the least the world can do to #StandwithUkraine. @StateDept @SecBlinken
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ec/jXBsa

It’s not rocket science, it’s not WWIII, it’s just #PlanesForUkraine. #StandwithUkraine @NATO @POTUS @PLParliament @Bundestag
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ec/EX3Rk

Russia does not respect negotiations, ceasefires, or deescalation efforts. We need #PlanesForUkraine NOW. @JoeBiden @JensStoltenberg @EmmanuelMacron @BorisJohnson
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ec/li9e8

#PlanesForUkraine is the morally right thing to do. We all have a chance to be on the right side of history. Help Ukrainians defend their land and skies now. @NATO @10DowningStreet @USDoDGov
Click to Tweet: https://ctt.ec/Jn23b

Like and retweet the Tweets from the Razom account: https://twitter.com/razomforukraine

Like and retweet any other Tweets in the #PlanesForUkraine hashtag to get it trending across the globe. That’s it! On Tuesday 15 March, do it all over again at 10:00 am EST. And then again on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. Invite a friend to join the Twitter storm!

Pro tip: Set a reminder on your phone or in your calendar to remind you to Tweet everyday at 10:00 am EST.

Additionally, you can also sign a petition SUPPLY UKRAINE WITH FIGHTER JETS.

Join our Twitter Storm Facebook event here.

Evacuation of Children with Disabilities

Published: March 10, 2022

Just as we have worked hard to move humanitarian aid such as tactical and hospital medical supplies across borders and into Ukraine, we have simultaneously developed an evacuation system for some of the most vulnerable in times of war – children and children with disabilities. This effort began with children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Razom has been connected to these children through the “Dity, My Vstygnemo” – “Children, We Will Make It” project, launched in 2021 as a civic movement and advocacy campaign to improve healthcare access for Ukrainian children suffering from SMA.

In times of war, children with disabilities need to be evacuated early before they are in danger of missing out on special care and assistance needed to thrive and survive. These children also require an individualized evacuation approach as they are unable to board crowded trains and buses. Moreover, taking care of civilians before their environment becomes an active war zone allows the Ukrainian army to work more efficiently, knowing civilians are out of harm’s way. Therefore we activated our volunteer and partner network immediately when the war began, and to date, have evacuated 30 different families (making up 83 individuals) from nine cities and regions of Ukraine (including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Irpin, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kryvyi Rih).

This has been a complete volunteer effort. A group of 12 Razom volunteers (across US and Ukraine, including 5 drivers) have worked day and night coordinating resources and safe routes for passage to evacuate children and their families from the most dangerous regions in Ukraine towards western Ukraine. We worked with the All Hands And Hearts nonprofit to help procure minivans (we have four of them to date, one of which was privately funded), and have partnered with the Polish SMA Foundation to take care of these children once we get them across the border.

As we continue to scale this project, we’ve also been able to assist families who are driving their children with disabilities out west on their own, to guide them through safe routes. This includes helping them find shelter along the way. Razom has been developing a database of places willing to shelter refugees safely and freely even before the war began.

As we work to obtain more vehicles that will allow us to further expand this project, we are also developing a system whereby minibusses that make their way east are filled with humanitarian aid. Right now, every action we take must have maximum positive impact on lives in Ukraine.

Please consider donating to Razom Emergency Response project for us to continue to scale this operation.

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Newsletter #5: Meeting the ever-evolving needs of Ukrainians right now

Published: March 10, 2022

In the fifth installment of this newsletter, you’ll find a Razom Emergency Response project impact story we haven’t yet shared with you – evacuations. You’ll also learn the latest on how to continue to help Ukraine.

Just as we’ve worked hard to move humanitarian aid (tacmed, hospital med) across borders and into Ukraine, we’ve simultaneously developed an evacuation system for some of the most vulnerable in times of war — children and children with disabilities. It started with children with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) that Razom is connected through the “Dity, My Vstygnemo” – “Children, We Will Make It” project, launched in 2021 as a civic movement and advocacy campaign to improve healthcare access for Ukrainian children suffering from SMA.

In times of war, children with disabilities need to be evacuated early before they are in danger of missing out on special care and assistance needed to thrive and survive. Razom (in a group with 12 incredible volunteers across the US and Ukraine) have evacuated children from 9 cities and regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Irpin, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kryvyi Rih.

Our long time partners at BUR are helping to coordinate evacuations on the ground along with the help of Mykola Kuleba. We worked with the All Hands And Hearts nonprofit to help procure minivans, and have partnered with the Polish SMA Foundation to take care of these children once getting them across the border.

Please consider donating to Razom’s Emergency Response project and/or BUR for us to continue to scale this operation.

There are lots of upcoming events and rallies that you can support:

Today, (Thursday March 10th) at 8pm there’s A Benefit For Ukraine hosted by Gogol Bordello at City Winery NYC, with profits going to Come Back Alive Foundation (Povernys’ Zhyvym) in Ukraine.
Bring a blue or yellow umbrella and join a performance protest at Times Square on Saturday, March 12th at 1pm to continue to put pressure on the world to #CloseTheSky in Ukraine.
In Brooklyn on Saturday, March 12th at 1pm there will be a workshop on Ukrainian folk songs led by Asia Mieleszko at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn. All are welcome to learn the extraordinary, everyday music of Ukraine’s villages. There’s no knowledge of Ukrainian or music necessary to participate.
In D.C. on Sunday, March 13th, join the Vigil For Ukraine at the White House from 4-8 pm to commemorate the innocent people killed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and honor those who are defending Ukraine right now. As of March 8th, 52 children have been confirmed killed.
On Sunday, March 13th at 5-9pm, Dacha 46, Gertie, and Huertas (with special guest Leah Koenig) combine forces to bring you a Ukrainian Jew-ish feast to help raise funds for Razom’s Emergency Response. 357 Grand Street in NYC.
In New York City on March 18-20th you can discover the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival a platform for the performance and discussion of the complex and unique contributions of Ukrainian composers to contemporary music.

Last, but most certainly not least, your gift to these fundraisers can make an enormous difference for Ukrainians in Ukraine:

Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones). We are agents of delivery on the ground, funneling humanitarian aid in one direction and evacuating children, children with disabilities, and their families in the opposite direction.
UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country urgently needs your support. They’ve been able to ship 660 body armors and 500 helmets thus far.
With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support. We are raising money to ensure that the donations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies, get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.

P.S. – we have an urgent volunteer opportunity for TODAY, Thursday 3/10 at our warehouse in New Jersey to sort and pack shipments of humanitarian aid for Ukraine. If you’re able to help, fill out this Volunteer Intake Form asap.