Newsletter #8: Tactical medicine deep dive and advocacy updates

Published: March 29, 2022   

This is our regularly scheduled newsletter with important updates about our Emergency Response Project, advocacy work, and a list of the latest opportunities to support Ukraine. 

Dear Razom Community,

At Razom, we believe that one of the most effective ways to support the heroic efforts of Ukrainian defenders on the ground in Ukraine is by equipping them with tactical medical supplies.  This was the form of humanitarian aid that we focused on from day one, and it continues to be on the top of the list of most requested aid from hotspots that are actively repelling russian occupiers across Ukraine.

Razom volunteers were able to act fast in procuring these types of supplies largely because of their gained experience from 2014.  Canada-based Tonia Kumko, founder of IntoMath (before she became one of our resident tacmed experts) is one of the leading volunteers on the tacmed team, says she never would have thought she’d be using that prior experience again.  Today it allows her team to make decisions and find supplies faster.

Up until this point, we’ve maintained a fairly high degree of transparency with you about our logistical chain and where our tactical medicine shipments land across Ukraine.  Given the developments of the past week however, it’s become increasingly more risky for us to share which regions (territorial defense units and hospitals) we are serving in Ukraine when it comes to delivering tacmed aid.  But rest assured that we are working hard to prioritize regions of Ukraine where this aid can make the most impact in saving lives.  In the meantime, here’s what Razomers on the other side of the Atlantic have managed to achieve:

  • Over $5M has been spent on tactical medicine and tacmed equipment.
  • Razom is averaging procuring 10,000 tourniquets per week (worth over $250,000/week) from the most reputable suppliers buying CAT, SOF-T and/or SAM brands.  In life-or-death situations, tourniquets stop arterial bleeding so the quality of this single-use device matters.  They continue to be the most sought-after and requested forms of aid across Ukraine.
  • Thanks to our strong ties to communities and professionals on the ground in Ukraine, we’re able to learn of exact needs quickly and act on some specific (if not esoteric) requests that can make a big difference.  A good example has been SAM splints (procured over 3,100 of them for $56,100), designed for immobilizing bone and soft tissue injuries in emergency settings.  What’s more, we work hard and smart with your donation money by researching the best possible supply chain deals.  Aside from the 80 SAM splints that we secured for free, our best negotiated discount so far was 60% off!
  • We’ve purchased over 10,300 chest seals for over $58,000.  Ukrainians in the U.S. and Canada have really stepped up to the plate in procuring these because the supply of chest seals has been completely depleted in North America…through July.  So Razomers found contacts in Australia and the U.K to buy over 6,000 of these, which are due to arrive in our warehouse in western Ukraine later this week.
  • A group of about 15 volunteers worked around the clock to sort and pack aid for shipment overseas.  In one week’s time they put together 2,000 IFAKs in our New Jersey warehouse.  These are not your regular first aid kits – they’re designed to treat traumatic injuries and severe bleeding, life-saving materials that in one week were worth collectively over $200,000.

With all of the determination and attention to detail Razomers put towards sourcing the best tactical medicine supplies for Ukraine, a small group of volunteers decided to build an IT system from scratch that enables Razom to account for this aid when it flies overseas and lands in our warehouse in western Ukraine.  With accurate tracking, we’re able to be much more efficient in distributing tacmed supplies based on our availability and quantities needed in different hotspots across Ukraine.  That IT system is constantly being maintained, updated, and refined as we grow our operations.

Never forget that you have the power to not just donate money to help Ukraine, but your time and talents too.  In New York City last week, our community has gone above and beyond in its advocacy work by organizing a second Mothers’ March across the city, a #SaveMariupol flashmob in Grand Central Station, and a flag raising ceremony at Bowling Green.  You can read more about the significance of that ceremony and New York Mayor Eric Adams’ speech here.  The Ukrainian flag at Bowling Green won’t come down until Ukraine is victorious, and Ukraine will be victorious.  Make it happen sooner: keep showing up when it matters. 

Yesterday (Sunday, 3/27) Razom co-hosted (along with United Help Ukraine, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, U.S. Ukrainian Activists, and the Renew Democracy Initiative) a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. to commemorate one month of Russia’s merciless invasion of Ukraine.  We later met with Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, and Kateryna Smagliy, First Secretary at the Ukrainian Embassy to the US, as a kick off to a round of meetings on the Hill with decision makers this week. 

Here are some events to put on your calendar for the weeks ahead, including one opportunities for today!  

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.   After one month of war, don’t let apathy set in.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter #7: Our impact is scaling, our voices need to be heard

Published: March 22, 2022   

We start this newsletter with a moment of gratitude for all of you, followed by an update on the latest impact stories, and ending with a list of community engagement and advocacy resources.

Dear Razom Community,

From all of us, thank you wholeheartedly every donor for the support of Razom’s work in this trying time of crisis.  Your donations are going toward providing critical aid relief, support for displaced persons, and amplifying Ukraine’s story and the voices of Ukrainians. In a couple of months we’ll be able to acknowledge and write to each and every one of you. Your support gives us hope and strength. But right now, we ask for your patience as we work tirelessly to transform your money into support in the right hands in Ukraine.  

The latest updates on progress and impact of the Razom Emergency Response Project:

  • You can now become a part of the Razom procurement team by buying humanitarian aid items that are urgently needed but not impossible to find off of our Amazon Custom Gift List.  Razom volunteers will deliver and sort the items in our New Jersey warehouse with Meest before shipping it out Ukraine.  
  • An Americares donation of the most critically needed hospital supplies has been delivered to the Cancer Institute of Kyiv in Ukraine that includes 9.5 pallets with 921 cases totaling 6,283 pounds of supplies that will be distributed to several more hospitals in Kyiv.
  • Razom’s procurement of a defibrillator, insulin, and other important medicines like metformin, glimepiride, levothyroxine was delivered to the Ukrainian Diabetes Association in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Luhansk regions.  We accomplished this in partnership with volunteers at AWO Ortsverein Reischach – AG and Ukraine-HILFE Berlin e.V.  
  • Razom volunteers have made a total of 7 trips carrying tactical medicine cargo to various volunteer civilian defense corps prioritizing cities and regions where Ukrainians are actively repelling russian occupiers.  
  • Razom has secured 50 drones across the Polish border that will be used to ensure the safe delivery of medical and tactical medical supplies by our volunteers traveling across hotspot areas in Ukraine.
  • Razom issued a grant to long-time partner BUR (Building Ukraine Together) to support their programs helping internally displaced people in Ukraine by renovating infrastructure, building shelter camps for IDPs, and offering humanitarian aid across Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv.  We continue to support and collaborate with them.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who work on the “second front” of this war!  None of this impact would have been possible without your unwavering determination to getting the work done. 

Medical supplies preparing for shipment
Tacmed delivered to a volunteer civilian defense corp
Americares’ Donation
Razom volunteers at the sorting warehouse, preparing the next shipment

This week there are a number of events and rallies for you to join to help advocate for Ukraine and/or fundraise for Razom’s Emergency Response Project.  We hope to see you there! 

  • Please join Mayor Adams along with the honorable Oleksii Holubov, Ukrainian Consulate General, and Prominent Ukrainians, Ukrainian-Americans and Friends of Ukraine to raise the Ukrainian Flag in Bowling Green Park today, Wednesday, March 23rd at 4:30 pm.  The Ukrainian flag will fly every day beside the American flag until Ukraine is victorious and the russian invaders are gone.
  • Later that same day, join us at Grand Central Terminal at 6:30pm to witness or be a part of a Flash Mob Protest to #SaveMariupol.  Mariupol has been under near constant siege for several weeks and seen some of the worst attacks in the war, including deadly strikes on a maternity ward of a hospital, the bombing of a theater housing over a thousand civilians (the losses from which are still unknown), amongst other horrific events.  For more details and to become a part of the Flash Mob Protest, please join our Signal group https://bit.ly/SAVEMARIUPOL
  • Sunday, March 27th will be a National Day of Action to #StandWithUkraine including a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.  Let’s seize this moment to call on the world to act now to help Ukrainians continue fighting for freedom and democracy and for Ukraine’s right to thrive and survive.
  • All the proceeds from a Charity Gala Event on Sunday, April 3rd at the Oceana Theater in Brooklyn will be going to Razom’s Emergency Response project.   The event will be performance-based, with the acts varying from music (performances from KAZKA and Alyosha amongst others), children’s choir and dance, speeches, and video blocks (feat. Okean Elzy, Jamala, and Max Barskih).

As always, keep in touch with us via this newsletter, our blog, and our social media channels where we share more real-time info you need to know to stand with Ukraine.  Consider making a gift to Razom or our partner organizations (like BUR!) for us to continue to do this work.  We are awed by your tremendous support.

Stay Razom.

BUR Supporting Displaced Families

Published: March 21, 2022   

We’d like to share an important update from our partner Building Ukraine Together (BUR) about how they have adapted their activities to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) since the russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2022.

Thousands of displaced families are in need of your help.  Schools and community halls are being made available, but there is an immediate need for basic items – beds blankets, cooking utensils, and personal hygiene products. You can support BUR’s work by donating below.  As a Razom partner, these donations are 501(c)3 deductible.

BUR’s key areas of operation right now are:

  • Cooperating with organizations to meet the needs of their volunteers who are at the forefront of defending Ukrainian freedom.
  • Communicating with volunteers who remain in the combat zone about humanitarian needs and evolving situation in the country.
  • Organizing the logistics of delivering supplies from Lviv to different Ukrainian cities.

In the early days of the full-scale war, Razom issued a $50,000 grant to support this work.  Below is an overview of how those funds were used:

  • Procuring and delivering humanitarian aid – ranging from food, medicines, to sleeping bags – in Lviv, Kharkiv, Skadovsk and Kherson.
  • Preparing and delivering food for territorial defense units (civilian volunteers) and hospitals in Kharkiv.
  • Vehicle rentals for the transportation of this aid and evacuations of civilians (specifically from Kharkiv to Dnipro).
  • Purchasing of chainsaws for territorial defense units (civilian volunteers) and Emergency Services of Kharkiv to dismantle debris from the destruction and rescue people from rubble.

You can find updates from BUR on their social media:

https://www.facebook.com/BuildingUkraineTogether

https://instagram.com/burburbuuur

Building Ukraine Together (BUR) is a program of the “Ukrainian Educational Platform“, which creates opportunities for youth to make changes in their country through volunteering. Ukrainian Educational Platform is a charitable organization (2000-2021 – Lviv Education Foundation). It has impacted positive change with more than 10 years of experience in social transformations. They believe in Ukraine, they unite, educate, and support people with leadership potential who create vibrant local communities through volunteer, educational, and social projects.

Newsletter #6: Each one of us can do something for Ukraine

Published: March 16, 2022   
In this newsletter, you’ll find a bunch of ways to advocate for Ukraine and help make an impact for Ukrainians in active war zones across the country.  We’ll also guide you to places where you can discover more amazing Ukrainian culture.  

Maybe not all of us can be showing up at Times Square everyday to rally the US to #StandWithUkraine and #CloseTheSky, so Razom bought out a billboard there to remind people about this everyday.  

In the meantime, continue to participate in the many advocacy campaigns, rallies, pickets, and events that raise awareness about the devastating destruction happening in Ukraine or showcase Ukrainian culture.  We must call on various government bodies, companies, people in power, and the public at large to use their resources to influence positive outcomes in Ukraine and curtail the current humanitarian crisis. 

  • Get out of bed now and make your way to 388 Greenwich St (if you’re in NYC!) to #BoycottRussia at CitiGroup HQ.  They’re the US bank with the biggest footprint in Russia and there’s no time for major banks like Citi to continue funding Russia’s war against Ukraine. 
    • Here’s a comprehensive list of major brands and corporations that haven’t taken any action to isolate Russia, with an explainer on why it’s important to put pressure on them right now and how to do it.
  • Not in New York?  Get yourself on twitter and participate in the #PlanesForUkraine Twitter Storm this Wednesday morning at 10am EST.  You can get all the info and instructions on how to do it here.  Hint: it’s ridiculously easy when compared to the kind of impact this advocacy can have. 
  • On Friday night (3/18) Scandinavia House in New York will be screening a 2021 documentary National Museum, about the Ukrainian National Museum in Kyiv exploring what is cherished and revered by Ukrainians.  Q&A with director Andrei Zagdansky will follow. 
  • On Saturday night (3/19) you can go to Honey’s in Brooklyn for a Ukraine Fundraising Borscht Dinner and Dance Party where all proceeds from the dinner and donations at the door will go to supporting two charitable orgs in Kharkiv that provide aid for internally displaced persons. 
  • On Sunday (3/20) you can take a fundraising walking tour of Little Ukraine in the East Village.  You might run into a Razom volunteer on their way to another working session at our office there.   
  • This weekend (18th – 20th) in New York City you can discover the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival featuring a number of artists currently in Ukraine fighting for their lives and their country.  It will happen despite the current challenges with the hope of showcasing Ukrainian artists and music in a time when it matters most.  Part of the proceeds will go to Razom.
  • On Monday (3/21) The Brick Theater in Williamsburg will host Brickflix – Benefit For Ukraine featuring Spoken Word by Yara Arts (sharing work by acclaimed Ukrainian poet Serhiy Zhadan), animated short Denis the Pirate, and film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.  The Two Boots Pizza is free and all proceeds will go to Razom. 
  • On Saturday (3/26) the Bohemian Benevolent Literary Association and Diverse Filmmaker Alliance in New York are hosting a benefit screening of The Long Breakup, a feature-length documentary on Ukraine’s struggle to escape Russia’s embrace and become a truly independent nation.  A Q&A with the director Katya Soldak will follow.  All proceeds will go to Razom.

Thanks to your donations, Razom has shipped 144 pallets of the most critical humanitarian aid to Ukraine thus far from the US, Europe, and Canada.  If you go to Razom’s Blog you’ll find out about how some of the very first aid shipments of tacmed that we sent in the first days of the war, finally made their way into the hands of Ukrainians in Kyiv, Brovary, Zhytomyr, Poltava, and Sumy. 

Please continue to support and raise awareness about this work so that Razom, and the incredible people involved in carrying out our Emergency Response Project, can keep providing critical humanitarian war relief and recovery in Ukraine depending on the most urgent needs as they evolve.

As Our Volunteer Team Grows, So Does Our Impact: Updates from Canada, Lviv and Sumy

Published: March 16, 2022   

Today a brave group of volunteers delivered much needed tactical medicine supplies to Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine about 30 miles from the Russian border.  It’s a city that’s been sustaining shelling and urban fighting since the moment of Russian invasion.  Maybe we’ll get an extra hour of sleep knowing that Ukrainian people have the necessary medicine to defend their city.

Meanwhile halfway across the world, a group of Canadian Razom volunteers have built out partnerships and a logistical chain to be able to procure and ship tactical medical supplies from Toronto to Ukraine.  They’ve partnered up with the Markham Rotary Club Foundation and NKS Health to fundraise, buy, and ship 13 pallets of tacmed so far. Check out how they do this work in more detail below:

Last but not least, we’ve grown our Razom team of volunteers at the Kryla Nadiyi warehouse in Lviv to 8 people (and soon more), who come to us from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in Ukraine, and who will be working there daily to accept Razom’s aid shipments that are arriving more consistently now.  They’re sorting and organizing aid for further distribution so that we can get these supplies into the hands of Ukrainians as fast as humanly possible.

Delivery of Aid & Supplies to Cities Across Ukraine

Published: March 14, 2022   

Razom Emergency Response project continues to grow and develop at an incredible speed thanks to the support of our donors and dedicated volunteer network in the US and Ukraine. The war and resulting humanitarian crisis has only continued to escalate over the past week, putting our logistics operation on the ground in Ukraine into stark focus. 

The first shipments of humanitarian aid procured by Razom delivered to Berdychiv in Zhytomyr Oblast on March 9th

The reality is that delivering aid past the warehouse of our partners at Kryla Nadiyi in western Ukraine is an extremely difficult task. The very first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) made it into the hands of civilian defense corps in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts on March 9th.  It was four days later, on March 13th, that more aid made the journey east – this time by two mini buses heading to Kyiv (including Brovary) and Poltava (with an extra leg to Sumy) oblasts.  

Russian forces are actively shelling and endangering transportation infrastructure across the country therefore safe routes are constantly changing. In addition, humanitarian needs on the ground change just as fast, if not faster. Speed and boots on the ground are of the essence. Razom has both, which gives us a unique chance to deliver the aid acquired abroad to the end user in Ukraine, knowing that your donations are in the right hands. 

Aid is packed into small vehicles allowing volunteer drivers to maneuver more nimbly. Coordination with civilian defense corps (the ultimate volunteer network in Ukraine today) via satellite phones, which offer the most reliable form of communication, strengthen our logistics chain on the ground in Ukraine. There’s also a verbal verification system in place that ensures volunteers know they’re putting the delivery in safe hands. When available, small civilian drones are another important tool for our volunteers to scope out safe passage routes and share valuable information in real time. These tech enabled emergency response supplies have made a big impact on our volunteers’ ability to work effectively in executing the logistics chain in Ukraine. We are enormously grateful for the brave and trusted group of the people who carry out this work.  

Tactical Medical Aid being prepped and loaded for distribution in Ukraine. Markings read “Sumy” and “Poltava”

As we celebrate each and every delivery of humanitarian aid that makes it into the hands of Ukrainians, we continue to follow a repeatable logistics process for procuring and delivering aid from abroad to warehouses in Poland and western Ukraine. Euromaidan Warszawa is our trusted partner in Warsaw that receives shipments procured throughout western Europe and delivers them to western Ukraine. Meest America is delivering shipments procured from the United States directly to Ukraine.  So far, approximately $4M has been spent on tactical medical supplies, communications supplies, and logistics support. All of our aid is received in western Ukraine by our partners Kryla Nadiyi (Wings of Hope). They warehouse, sort, and prepare orders of aid that then gets distributed further.  A small group of engineers, in collaboration with two Razom volunteers (in the US and Ukraine) have developed an online system to help track requests submitted by a centralized network of civilian defense corps central command. These requests then get cross referenced to active hotspots and prioritized based on safe routes.  

The many faces of Kryla Nadiyi volunteers accepting, sorting, and organizing humanitarian aid for distribution across Ukraine

We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers and partner organizations who work daily on this project (most days staying up until 4am!) coordinating information, connecting volunteer networks, and helping to take in, protect, and distribute shipments donated through Razom. To our donors, your continued support ensures we can make an impact across more parts of Ukraine. We can’t wait to keep sharing those stories with you as they develop. 

Evacuation of Children with Disabilities

Published: March 10, 2022   

Just as we have worked hard to move humanitarian aid such as tactical and hospital medical supplies across borders and into Ukraine, we have simultaneously developed an evacuation system for some of the most vulnerable in times of war – children and children with disabilities.  This effort began with children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Razom has been connected to these children through the “Dity, My Vstygnemo” – “Children, We Will Make It” project, launched in 2021 as a civic movement and advocacy campaign to improve healthcare access for Ukrainian children suffering from SMA. 

In times of war, children with disabilities need to be evacuated early before they are in danger of missing out on special care and assistance needed to thrive and survive. These children also require an individualized evacuation approach as they are unable to board crowded trains and buses. Moreover, taking care of civilians before their environment becomes an active war zone allows the Ukrainian army to work more efficiently, knowing civilians are out of harm’s way. Therefore we activated our volunteer and partner network immediately when the war began, and to date, have evacuated 30 different families (making up 83 individuals) from nine cities and regions of Ukraine (including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Irpin, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kryvyi Rih).

This has been a complete volunteer effort. A group of 12 Razom volunteers (across US and Ukraine, including 5 drivers) have worked day and night coordinating resources and safe routes for passage to evacuate children and their families from the most dangerous regions in Ukraine towards western Ukraine. We worked with the All Hands And Hearts nonprofit to help procure minivans (we have four of them to date, one of which was privately funded), and have partnered with the Polish SMA Foundation to take care of these children once we get them across the border.

As we continue to scale this project, we’ve also been able to assist families who are driving their children with disabilities out west on their own, to guide them through safe routes.  This includes helping them find shelter along the way.  Razom has been developing a database of places willing to shelter refugees safely and freely even before the war began.  

As we work to obtain more vehicles that will allow us to further expand this project, we are also developing a system whereby minibusses that make their way east are filled with humanitarian aid. Right now, every action we take must have maximum positive impact on lives in Ukraine.

Please consider donating to Razom Emergency Response project for us to continue to scale this operation.  

Newsletter #5: Meeting the ever-evolving needs of Ukrainians right now

Published: March 10, 2022   

In the fifth installment of this newsletter, you’ll find a Razom Emergency Response project impact story we haven’t yet shared with you – evacuations.  You’ll also learn the latest on how to continue to help Ukraine. 

Just as we’ve worked hard to move humanitarian aid (tacmed, hospital med) across borders and into Ukraine, we’ve simultaneously developed an evacuation system for some of the most vulnerable in times of war — children and children with disabilities.  It started with children with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) that Razom is connected through the “Dity, My Vstygnemo” – “Children, We Will Make It” project, launched in 2021 as a civic movement and advocacy campaign to improve healthcare access for Ukrainian children suffering from SMA. 

In times of war, children with disabilities need to be evacuated early before they are in danger of missing out on special care and assistance needed to thrive and survive.  Razom (in a group with 12 incredible volunteers across the US and Ukraine) have evacuated children from 9 cities and regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Irpin, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kryvyi Rih.

Our long time partners at BUR are helping to coordinate evacuations on the ground along with the help of Mykola Kuleba.  We worked with the All Hands And Hearts nonprofit to help procure minivans, and have partnered with the Polish SMA Foundation to take care of these children once getting them across the border.  

Please consider donating to Razom’s Emergency Response project and/or BUR for us to continue to scale this operation.  

There are lots of upcoming events and rallies that you can support: 

  • Today, (Thursday March 10th) at 8pm there’s A Benefit For Ukraine hosted by Gogol Bordello at City Winery NYC, with profits going to Come Back Alive Foundation (Povernys’ Zhyvym) in Ukraine.  
  • Bring a blue or yellow umbrella and join a performance protest at Times Square on Saturday, March 12th at 1pm to continue to put pressure on the world to #CloseTheSky in Ukraine.  
  • In Brooklyn on Saturday, March 12th at 1pm there will be a workshop on Ukrainian folk songs led by Asia Mieleszko at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn.  All are welcome to learn the extraordinary, everyday music of Ukraine’s villages.  There’s no knowledge of Ukrainian or music necessary to participate.
  • In D.C. on Sunday, March 13th, join the Vigil For Ukraine at the White House from 4-8 pm to commemorate the innocent people killed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and honor those who are defending Ukraine right now.  As of March 8th, 52 children have been confirmed killed.
  • On Sunday, March 13th at 5-9pm, Dacha 46, Gertie, and Huertas (with special guest Leah Koenig) combine forces to bring you a Ukrainian Jew-ish feast to help raise funds for Razom’s Emergency Response.  357 Grand Street in NYC.
  • In New York City on March 18-20th you can discover the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival a platform for the performance and discussion of the complex and unique contributions of Ukrainian composers to contemporary music.  

Last, but most certainly not least, your gift to these fundraisers can make an enormous difference for Ukrainians in Ukraine:

  • Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones).  We are agents of delivery on the ground, funneling humanitarian aid in one direction and evacuating children, children with disabilities, and their families in the opposite direction. 
  • UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country urgently needs your support.  They’ve been able to ship 660 body armors and 500 helmets thus far.  
  • With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support.  We are raising money to ensure that the donations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies, get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.  

P.S. – we have an urgent volunteer opportunity for TODAY, Thursday 3/10 at our warehouse in New Jersey to sort and pack shipments of humanitarian aid for Ukraine.  If you’re able to help, fill out this Volunteer Intake Form asap. 

Newsletter #4: Important Razom Emergency Response Updates

Published: March 8, 2022   

In the fourth installment of this newsletter, you’ll find Razom Emergency Response Project updates, an overview of our activity in the past week, and a quick rundown of what’s to come and how you can get involved. 

Our Emergency Response Project is well underway, with some of the hardest work yet to come. Kryla Nadiyi (which means “Wings of Hope” in Ukrainian) are our partners on the ground in western Ukraine warehousing, sorting, and distributing our humanitarian aid to various hot spots across the country.  They are one of the top charities in Ukraine doing this type of work since 2013.

The first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) are now arriving to civilian territorial defenses in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts in Ukraine.  We are enormously grateful for this brave and trusted group of volunteers who are ensuring its safe arrival.  Tacmed supplies continue to be one of the most urgent forms of aid needed to get into the hands of Ukrainians.

We have streamlined our operations with Meest America Inc., and right now, 38 tons more of tactical medical and hospital supplies are making their way to Ukraine via Poland.

Finally, since the start of the war, we’ve spent over $1.5M procuring this humanitarian aid and covering logistical costs.

On Saturday, we continued to show up and show out with thousands of Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine gathering into one of the largest rallies in recent Ukrainian-New York history.  Times Square turned into a blue and yellow ocean stretching for over 5 blocks, the Ukrainian anthem was heard loud and proud, our faces were the faces of hope for Ukraine and its bright future.  

Following the rally, all those who have been working to support Ukraine these difficult past couple of weeks, were welcomed at the Ukrainian National Home in the Ukrainian Village for a Stand With Ukraine Community Concert.  A beautiful music program, which included Ukrainian Village Voices, Zisl Slepovitch Trio, and Fima Chupakhin Jazz Quartet, was exactly what we needed to be reminded of our strength and resoluteness to keep going.  Thank you to Iryna Kit for putting together the program, Veselka :: Beceлкa, Two Boots Pizza, and East Village Meat Market Inc./ J. Baczynsky for providing the food to sustain and nurture the volunteers, and everyone who came out to support.  Together we raised over $8,000.  It was a wonderful evening amidst chaos, and the goal was always to remind ourselves of the amazing support Ukraine has all over the world and to give us the courage to continue fighting for peace, truth, and freedom.

Here’s how to continue to stay involved:

  • The Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival is back again this year running March 18th to March 20th showcasing Ukrainian artists and music in a time when these matter most.  While the war effort is of paramount importance, it is also imperative that Ukrainian culture does not disappear.  Buy your tickets to the festival here.
    • UCMF is also actively fundraising (donate here) to cover the costs of running the festival and donating half of the proceeds to Razom’s Emergency Response Project.  
  • If you haven’t written to your representatives yet, there’s never a day like today.  Keep putting the pressure on them to provide more support and close the sky over Ukraine (templates here).
  • Have you publicly called out PayPal yet to open up their full range of services to Ukraine?  Especially Ukrainians receiving payments and money through the app.  Follow the flashmob bandwagon by sharing this post across your social media while tagging PayPal.  
  • Our linktree has over 1 million views, keep sharing it with your networks as the easiest (read: fastest) way to raise awareness about what people can do to support and educate themselves on Ukraine. 
  • Last, but most certainly not least, consider making a contribution to the following efforts:
    • Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones).   
    • UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country is still ongoing.  
    • With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support.  We are raising money to ensure that the donations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies (many of you have been doing epic Costco runs!), get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.

38 Tons of Medical Supplies on the way to Poland

Published: March 7, 2022   

Our Emergency Response Project is well underway, with some of the hardest work yet to come.

  • Kryla Nadiyi (which means “Wings of Hope” in Ukrainian) are our partners on the ground in western Ukraine warehousing, sorting, and distributing our humanitarian aid to various hot spots across the country. They are one of the top charities in Ukraine doing this type of work since 2013.
  • The first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) are now arriving to civilian territorial defenses in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts in Ukraine. We are enormously grateful for this brave and trusted group of volunteers who are ensuring its safe arrival. Tacmed supplies continue to be one of the most urgent forms of aid needed to get into the hands of Ukrainians.
  • We have streamlined our operations with Meest America Inc., and right now, 38 tons more of tactical medical and hospital supplies are making their way to Ukraine via Poland.
  • Finally, since the start of the war, we’ve spent over $1.5M procuring this humanitarian aid and covering logistical costs.
  • Last, but most certainly not least, we ask you to consider making a contribution to the following efforts:
    • Our Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones).   
    • UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country is still ongoing.  
    • With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support.  We are raising money to ensure that the donations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies (many of you have been doing epic Costco runs!), get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.  

Stay informed. Stay Razom. Support Ukraine.