The situation in Ukraine is at once unbelievably heartrending, yet also full of so much hope, persistence, and resistance in the face of the unfathomable.
President Zelensky’s passionate steadfastness has rallied not only his own country, but the whole world to have faith and take actions for the best outcomes for the Ukrainian people. His incredible self-determination is evident in his articulate and stirring statements, such as “The fate of Ukraine depends only on Ukrainians. No one but ourselves will control our lives. We are on our land. The truth is on our side.”
In a time like this it can be so hard to know the right thing to do or say, especially for those of us who are so far away from the epicenter of this event. But in the interest of doing what we can, I’ve consolidated some resources for supporters of Ukraine. NOTE – these sources are as reputable as I can discern to the best of my ability, but please always do your own assessments before donating to any group or charity.
- This charity list compiled by a member of the r/ukraine subreddit. It includes resources within Ukraine that support the needs of special groups such as women, the elderly, children, people with pets, and much more: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_support_ukraine_heres_a_list_of_charities/
- This list of organizations vetted by NPR: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help. It encompasses groups providing supporting medical needs, providing food and water, psychological services, and more.
- Finally, what are ways to support Ukraine if one can’t donate money? The main method that comes to mind for me is speaking up to the best of one’s ability. This could include sharing helpful info on social media, providing emotional support on message boards, and even joining a rally. This link has information on rallies and events: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ways-to-help-ukraine-conflict/
You can also follow relevant hashtags like these on social media to keep up with upcoming events: #standwithukraine #rallyforukraine #peaceforukraine.
One more important caveat – again, always, always be sure to the best that you can that the information you’re accessing is accurate. This article by the Washington Post is an excellent resource for discerning credible information versus misinformation, and also contains many great points on media and news literacy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/02/ukraine-disinformation-news-literacy-lessons/
Slava Ukraini!
With love, Erica Magdalene
Magdalene Journal 