Over recent weeks Soroptimists have heard about events taking place in Ukraine. They looked at how best to offer support and assistance at these challenging times. In the early days we heard about collection points for Humanitarian support to Ukraine being set up in and around Kent. This information was shared with Medway and Maidstone members.
Julia Search followed up with one of these collection points in Maidstone, QP Online before she took items for Ukraine. They were leaving by the end of the week. They needed baby essentials, medical supplies such as bandages and tablets for pain relief, sanitary products, and non-perishable food items. Julia’s grandsons gave her £10 each from their pocket money to help. She used this money to buy nappies and baby milk. She also took a large bag of groceries, towels, plastic plates, and cutlery as well as soap, toothpaste, and face flannels which were all well received.
The following week Julia heard about another Appeal at a Kent County Council Office in Ashford. They were asking for filled shoeboxes for children. Julia collected donations from members and family, and these can be seen in the photograph.
Further advice received from SIGBI suggested making financial donations. One of these was the UK Humanitarian Appeal being organised by Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Although members have made individual donations, at our March club meeting, we agreed to make a £500 donation to DEC.
The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has reached £200 million in the two weeks since it was launched.
The number of refugees has passed 3 million, with almost 2 million more people displaced inside Ukraine as intense fighting, shelling and air strikes continue across Ukraine, affecting many civilian areas and destroying homes and vital infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and water supplies.
Donations to the appeal are funding work by DEC charities and their local partners inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. They are helping people with their immediate needs while also planning to support refugees and displaced people over the coming months and years.