UPDATE: How central Kentucky’s donations have helped Ukrainian refugees
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) – Nearly four months into Russia’s war with Ukraine, millions of displaced Ukrainians continue to depend on help from countries around the world, including the United States.
In recent months, many central Kentuckians helped send relief to Ukraine, and you may be wondering how your donations were used.
Lexington non-profit organization, Christian Mission Ebenezer has the updates.
President Alex Chubaruk said it took about two months for four containers full of donations from Central Kentucky to arrive in Poland by sea. Then it got tricky when it came to hitting the road.
“The church in Poland was able to help us find people to drive, which was kind of hard at the time because of gas prices and availability of gas was not there, and truckers didn’t want to go to Ukraine,” Chubaruk said.
Chubaruk said they managed to get the donations to their missionary partners across 60 different sites because of the money that was donated by Kentuckians.
“We were able to use your funds that you guys donated on our website to cover all that, to get the products, or supplies that you guys donated to Ukraine, to Rivne, and we distributed from there,” Chubaruk said.
Now, Chubaruk’s calling to help his own people is going beyond stateside. He has bought a plane ticket to head home in August and help his partners at ‘The Good Samaritan’ in Rivne, Ukraine.
“My partners have been asking, ‘Send some people. We need some fresh people to talk to these people,” Chubaruk said.
Chubaruk said The Good Samaritan is one of a few places left that is still open three times a week,
helping about 600 Ukrainians a week, while so many other shelters have run out of supplies and closed.
“They say to me, ‘I have a choice, do I close my doors, or do we find ways to fund and find ways to buy supplies?’” Chubaruk said. “And I tell them, ‘Do not close your doors. That’s not the way to do it. These people are hungry.”
So food is the main supply he’s offered to pick up in Poland when he lands to bring to Ukraine.
He’s also offered to be a support system for the many Ukrainians who could not flee.
“For us here in the U.S., we can relocate pretty simple,” Chubaruk said. “The way it is built in Ukraine, most of those people have lived there for generations, so when you are pushed out of that comfort zone, you are lost.”
Chubaruk will also be helping out with orphanages and schooling in other countries in August. He said that many of the children are orphaned because their parents went to war or were lost in the war.
Christian Mission Ebenezer is willing to collect more donations to help the kids and bring more food
supplies to Ukraine.
To donate, click here: Christian Mission EBENEZER – Christian Mission EBENEZER – Thus far the Lord has helped us. (cmebenezer.com)