Ukrainian humanitarian effort accelerates; how to make sure you’re not scammed
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As Russian military forces continue their assault on Ukraine’s largest cities and hundreds of thousands of people leave Ukraine and become refugees in surrounding countries, the humanitarian effort accelerates.
There are several organizations on the ground in Ukraine helping families and along the borders helping those who’ve fled. The Salvation Army has nine centers across Ukraine, including its headquarters in the country, in Kyiv, where some of the most intense fighting has happened.
“This is pretty bad,” Maj. Scott Shelbourn, with the Salvation Army’s Northern Division, said. “Our hearts are breaking for the people [in Ukraine] right now.”
Shelbourn says their teams are helping in many ways right now, but adds it’s been a struggle with supplies getting low.
“When you get a whole bunch of people massing into one area, like a border crossing, then the supplies become short because the area is not ready to handle tens of thousands of people inundated in one spot,” Shelbourn said. “So, you need to get supplies there, water, everything — the basic needs that people are wanting and need to survive.”
A woman with her soon look at a train leaving as they try to flee at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3. 2022. While woman and children are leaving the capital to safe places, men are asked to remain and fight the Russian invasion. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
He adds cash donations are key in their effort – you can help them directly with that here.
You can also donate to the American Ukrainian Community Center in northeast Minneapolis.
“People who want to do a smaller or larger donation, and don’t know where to find the right causes, we collect them and then immediately transfer [the donations] to the big Ukrainian funds,” Taras Rafa, volunteer at the American Ukrainian Community Center, said.
Rafa still has family in Ukraine. He told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS his mother and siblings are in western Ukraine. He says they’ve been safe thus far but knows many have been less fortunate and says any amount of donation will make a difference.
“The faster we act, the more lives can be saved,” Rafa added.
The Better Business Bureau shared resources and a list of credible organizations helping in this humanitarian effort to make sure your donations make it in the right hands and you’re not scammed.
KSTP also compiled a list of organizations to support here.