Ukrainians in the Triangle are sending items overseas. Here’s how you can help.
Ukrainians in the Triangle are banding together, finding ways to ensure their loved ones back home are safe and have what they need.
Lyana Klymyuk Watson, a Ukrainian living in Apex, has family actively fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
She shared how Ukrainians, both in the Triangle and overseas, would appreciate our help.
Organizations Ukrainians suggest we support
“So many of my friends are wondering what they can do. We are asked to organize ourselves in our different diaspora locations and provide help,” Watson posted to NextDoor Tuesday.
Here are three organizations that Watson recommended, if you’d like to support Ukraine financially:
▪ Help for Ukrainian Children and Elderly: This Facebook fundraiser is accepting donations with a goal of $50,000. Info: facebook.com/donate/834634553963485
Watson endorses this Facebook fundraiser, noting that Masha Grineva, who began the fundraiser, has been doing a lot of good for Ukrainian children and the elderly before the war began.
“Please help collect funds for food, medicine and other necessary immediate needs,” wrote Grineva, who began the fundraiser on Feb. 24. “Any help would be a huge help now.”
▪ United Help Ukraine: This organization is providing medical aid and humanitarian relief to Ukranians on the front line of the war. Info: unitedhelpukraine.org
“Here is an organization that our Ukrainian community is working closely with. Legitimate and effective. You can donate directly through PayPal and read about their projects,” Watson wrote.
▪ Razom for Ukraine: This organization is focused on buying medical supplies for dire situations, such as blood loss. Info: razomforukraine.org
“We have a large procurement team of volunteers that tracks down and purchases supplies and a logistics team that then gets them to Ukraine. Through multiple meetings a day, we are coordinating with several partner organizations worldwide,” their website says.
Ukrainians need donated supplies. Here’s what they want.
Two trucks of collected items left Raleigh for overseas shipping last week, Watson said, carrying more than 200 boxes of supplies, or about 5,000 pounds of supplies total.
Watson has continued to collect items, but the final shipment will be made on Saturday, March 12, at 9 a.m., Watson said. If you’d like to help after Saturday morning, you can donate financially to the organizations listed above.
Watson’s husband, Dr. Robert Watson, is a dentist in Apex, and those interested in donating supplies can drop them off at Bass & Watson Family Dental’s office. Bass & Watson Family Dental’s address is 1031 W Williams St. #101 in Apex.
Supplies can also be dropped off at Blossom & Bone Florals, a florist shop in Downtown Durham, said owner and founder Heather Sardela.
“We are located inside the lobby of the Snow Building. We’re not street facing,” Sardela said. “We’re on Main Street, right next to Viceroy, the British Indian pub.” Look for the pink sandwich board inside the lobby to find the storefont.
Blossom & Bone Florals’ address is 331 W Main St. in Durham.
Watson has an Amazon Wish List so donors can contribute items without leaving their homes. For the Wish List, visit amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2DPN17CIZYZZ3.
“The items on the list are what we are focusing on right now, and we’ll let our community know when other items, like clothing and baby supplies, will be collected,” she said.
“These items are for sure getting to Ukraine,” Watson said. “It’s a matter of fundraising to pay for shipping costs and getting items donated so they can ship them there.”
The community is asking for the following supplies:
Thermal wear (from size L and up)
Warm socks
Black beanie hats
Sleeping bags
CAT Generation 7 or SOF tourniquets
Hemostatic QuikClot Combat Gauze
Z-Folded Celox Gauze
Israeli bandage size 4” or 6”
HALO occlusive dressing set for trauma injuries
Nasopharyngeal tubes of various sizes and lubricants
Decompression needles
Medications: anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, analgesic (Diclofenac sodium 75 mg, Paracetamol 500 mg, Ceftriaxone 500 mg)
Anti-burn hydrogel bandages
Tactical scissors
Hypoallergenic plaster on nonwoven basis
Full tactical IFAK first aid kits
Helmets
You can see the full list of requested items on Watson’s Facebook page at facebook.com/lyana.watson.
To stay up to date on what Ukrainian community members are doing, follow the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina and Ukrainians in the Carolinas Facebook pages. If you have questions or information to share, you can message the groups through Facebook, Watson said.
For the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina, visit facebook.com/UkrainianAssociationNC.
For Ukrainians in the Carolinas, visit facebook.com/groups/937155979649761/.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 12:51 PM.
