Today, get a behind the scenes look at Razom operations through two major articles spotlighting our work. First, as a nonprofit operating in the U.S. and Ukraine, and second, as a volunteer powerhouse that’s shipped over 85,000 IFAKs to Ukraine. You’ll also get important updates on our events and fundraisers. In all the different ways you take part in this community, we are grateful!
Dear Razom Community,
Last week Razom got an exclusive feature in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the most prominent publication on philanthropy in the US, titled “How One Tiny, All-Volunteer Nonprofit Raised $57 Million for Ukraine”. We are grateful to hear the story of our work from the outside and shine a light on some of the amazing people who are doing this work. If you’d like to get a peek behind the scenes of Razom’s operations and Emergency Response work, we recommend you give it a read. Here’s a quote from the piece:
“Having more than 130,000 people turn to you and give you more than $50 million to work with to try to help people is not an easy thing to come to terms with,” says Maryna Prykhodko, who is in charge of social media and advocacy. At 27, she is the group’s youngest board member. “Some people would be paralyzed or debilitated with this huge weight on their shoulders. Every day you have to get yourself ready for the task at hand.”
Thank you for your continued support and trust in us so that we can continue do the work. The work to save lives in Ukraine right now, and build a more prosperous Ukraine for the future.
Now onto some updates.
Week over week, the hospitals team coordinates in-kind donations from international organizations and local hospitals to ship and distribute medical equipment and medicines to hospitals in need in Ukraine. Below, what we were able to accomplish last week:
- We shipped 30 jars of Weaver Conductive Ten20 Paste and 4 boxes of Topiramate (an anticonvulsant medication), generously donated by MD Soma Segupta from University of Cincinnati, to MD Mariia Pavliuk, a Pediatric Neurologist/ Neurophysiologist in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv. Conductive Ten20 Paste will be used to conduct EEG tests and detect possible seizure activities in the pediatric patients at St Nicholas Hospital in Lviv. Here’s what Dr. Mariia Pavliuk wrote back to us after receiving the package:
Thank you so so much!
I received everything! And unpacked today!
It somehow raised my mood, because today I discovered that a colleague of mine from Vinnytsia died because of missile attack that was couple weeks ago… he had burn injuries of more than 40% of skin and didn’t survive. He was my age, he had a family and he also built a plans how to improve pediatric neurology care in Ukraine. And now he is dead because of rocket which attacked him while he was at work…
I am destroyed…
Please take care, and thank you for everything you are doing for us!
Big hugs!
- Americares continues to support Ukrainian Civilian Hospitals with another generous donation of medication. Our trusted parter on the ground Zdorovi is in the process of distributing the medications to hospitals in need.
- We are still in the process of distributing the Medela WoundVacs (and its necessary parts) to hospitals in need across Ukraine.
- New generous donor Dukal, a medical equipment manufacturer, donated an entire 40ft container of gauze and sponges which is now en route via sea to Ukrainian Hospitals. These much needed medical supplies will be used in ORs across Ukraine during surgeries.
Razom has shipped over 85,000 IFAKs to Ukraine, and our team of warehouse volunteers in the US packs on average 6,000-8,000 IFAKs per week. Ever wondered what it takes to reach that kind of scale, and more importantly, who shows up to volunteer their time to do the work well and why? We recently published a beautiful piece about it on our website, spotlighting nine out of the 400 amazing people who do this work — a marketer, an IT pro, multiple husband-wife duos, a retired US veteran, a project manager, a teacher, and a doctor. Read their amazing stories here.
Behind the Scenes With Razom:
The Volunteers Packing Thousands of First Aid Kits for Ukraine
Please join us in Washington, D.C. for a Ukraine Action Summit! We invite individuals organizations — not just Ukrainian groups, either! — who are invested in advocating for Ukraine to Washington from September 18-21.
The Action Summit is co-sponsored by Razom for Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, United Help Ukraine, U.S.-Ukrainian Activists, the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC), Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation, Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America, MedGlobal, the Syria Faith Initiative, the American Coalition for Syria, the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan, and Florida For Ukraine. Organizations interested in co-sponsoring should reach out to summit@americancoalitionforukraine.org
This Action Summit will be an opportunity for organizations and advocates all over the U.S. to coalesce in Washington, D.C. and exchange best advocacy practices to continue educating our elected representatives about why the U.S. must continue helping Ukraine prevail.
Your voice is critical both to our joint advocacy efforts, as well as to ensuring that members of Congress understand how important it is to help Ukrainians prevail against this ruthless invasion. Please be sure to register here by August 30, 2022.
This Saturday, August 13th at 3:30pm join us at Times Square for a protest to demand actions from the international community in order to release Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Various international organizations have taken responsibility for the safety of captured Ukrainian soldiers, but all we see is the horrific killing of Ukrainian POWs as a result of a treacherous terrorist act by russia in Olenivka.
Join us and speak out against censorship in social networks and inaction on the part of international organizations. We will not let the world forget about Ukrainians who defend the liberty and values of the entire free world.
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Цієї суботи, 13 серпня, о 15:30, Таймс-Сквер приєднуйтесь до нашого протесту та вимагайте дій щодо звільнення українських військовополонених.
Різні міжнародні організації взяли на себе відповідальність за безпеку наших полонених солдатів, але ми бачимо лише жахливі вбивства українських військовополонених внаслідок віроломного терористичного акту Росії в Оленівці.
Приєднуйтесь щоб висловитися проти цензури в соціальних мережах, брехні та бездіяльності міжнародних організацій. Ми не дамо світу забути про українських воїнів, які захищають свободу та цінності всього вільного світу.
There are a lot of amazing folks around the globe organizing events and fundraisers in fun and interesting ways, and this week we want to spotlight the Door County Candle Company, a small Ukrainian, family-owned, Wisconsin business that has donated over $700,000 to Razom through its Ukraine candle sales since the invasion. It’s doubling down its “Light to Unite” donation efforts to meet a $1M donation goal on or before Ukraine’s national Independence Day on August 24.
From now until 8/24, the company will be donating $5 from every online sale of its traditional yellow Lemongrass and blue Lakeshore 16 oz. candles– the official colors of Ukraine, and will continue to donate 100% of profits from its Ukraine candle.
This little but mighty shop has made tremendous impact on Razom thanks to the commitment and creativity of its young Ukrainian-American owner, Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani and her surrounding community, to fulfill record breaking amounts of orders.
Online: a round-up of incredible Ukrainian art for a cause!
- Black and White Project Space is sponsoring Buy an Icon – Save a Life in Ukraine art auction featuring the work of Ukrainian artists Sonia Atlantova and Olexander Klimenjko titled Icons on Ammunition Boxes. Since 2015, they have painted on wooden fragments from military ammunition boxes left by russian soldiers on the battle fields in Eastern Ukraine, found by Ukrainian deminers and rescued by medical volunteers from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PFVMH). 100% of sale proceeds will go to PFVMH (ПДМШ), a Razom grantee partner. You can learn more about their amazing work here.
- Awethentic Gallery has curated an Art for Ukraine collection featuring paintings and prints from a variety of renowned Ukrainian artists. Some of their works focus on the recent Russian invasion while others focus on the beauty of Ukraine. In the collection, 20-100% of the net proceeds will go to Razom and the World Central Kitchen.
- The Art Auction for Ukraine showcase will continue to run until Sunday, August 14th providing access to the work of Ukrainian artist, both local and living in Ukraine right now while fundraising for Razom and Nova Ukraine.
In New York:
- On August 13th and 14th at 7:30PM, the Irondale Ensemble Project in Brooklyn will bring “Mom on Skype” to New York City audiences. In a bomb shelter in Lviv, Ukraine, a young soldier on duty, rehearses a play that he has directed about the separation and disconnection of children and parents. His cast is comprised of 9 children between the ages of 10 and 14 including his own daughter. Children who, overnight, have had to deal with the realities of missiles directed at them, bombs falling around them, and the fear that at any moment a family member or they themselves might die. Come see these incredible kids and support their trip to the US!
- On Saturday, September 24th, 6AM-6PM, New York Cycle Club’s 28th Annual Escape New York Ride (ENY’22) will have an opportunity to fundraise for Razom. Use Code RAZOM2022 to save $20 on registration and donate $22 of the registration fee to Razom. Riders who raise $500 or more will win a free jersey! For further details, visit enynycc.org/causes.
In Illinois:
- Join Chicago from August 10th-12th to break the Guinness World Record for the largest cereal box mosaic by building a Ukrainian flag at the iconic Grand Banking Hall of Wintrust Financial. Your donations to the Chicago Children United for Ukraine Cereal Box Mosaic Project, coupled with Kellog’s donation of 5,000 boxes of cereal, will allow us to raise money for Razom’s work and that of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
In New Hampshire:
- On Sunday, August 14th, 3-9PM, Bradford, NH is hosting a Stand With Ukraine Fundraiser at the Bradford Center Meetinghouse with all proceeds going to Razom. Join us for an afternoon of Ukrainian food and song, a local silent art auction, and music. Bring your picnic blankets and your own bowl, cup and cutlery to refuse waste.
In Minnesota:
- On Sat, August 20th to Sun, August 21st, 10AM – 8PM SLAVIC EXPERIENCE is coming toBoom Island Park in Northeast Minneapolis. A welcoming space for people of Slavic heritage to commemorate, celebrate, and share the richness and diversity of Eastern European traditions and customs with the greater Twin Cities community.
In the UK:
- On Wednesday, September 7th, 7-9PM the Young Professionals of the Danish-UK Association welcome Londoners to come and enjoy their end of summer concert at Box-Park Wembley. All proceeds from the evening will benefit Razom.
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine. We’re so glad you’re with us.
Stay razom.