Save Ukraine Now Organizes Convoy to Assist Refugees with Blankets, Food …
ATLANTA, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Save Ukraine Now, a charitable organization formed to help Ukrainian refugees and residents survive the coming winter, is organizing a humanitarian convoy to deliver food, blankets, medical supplies and the basic necessities of life to the war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine.
The Office of Presidential Administration has committed to expediting customs, supplying vehicles and providing security. Patriarch Filet of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) and the Protestant bishops of the country have also endorsed the project and are providing personnel and logistical support, including a network of more than 10,000 churches for distribution of the supplies.
Dr. Gary Kellner, President of Save Ukraine Now, said, “The level of cooperation we have achieved among churches, NGOs and Ukrainian government agencies is unprecedented, but it will take everyone working together to alleviate the widespread suffering we anticipate with the coming of winter. Meanwhile, the continuing interference by Russia is creating more refugees and making the problem worse.”
Dr. Kellner went on to note the urgency of the effort. Current relief organizations are struggling to meet the needs of refugees and residents alike, and the bitter Ukrainian winter could make the situation deadly.
Dr. Kellner offers more than 15 years of experience running social programs in Ukraine including the establishment of the country’s first graduate program in leadership studies. He is joined by SUN’s project manager, Neal Bratschun, who ran a 100-person staff for the United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan for nearly five years, and Valentyna Balabanova, Director of the Kyiv office, who is Chairman of the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Alliance and coordinates closely with the Ukrainian Office of Presidential Administration.
Save Ukraine Now is also planning an educational campaign to inform Americans about the suffering of the Ukrainian people through website development, social media and press conferences.
For more information, call Save Ukraine Now at 716-713-3198, email garyk@saveukrainenow.com or visit http://www.saveukrainenow.com.
SOURCE Save Ukraine Now