Newsletter #9: Razom Health Team, volunteer fundraising spotlight, and latest roster of events

Published: March 31, 2022   

Below you’ll find updates from Razom Health team, a volunteer fundraising impact story grown out of WI, and a list of the latest events across the country for you to go and support Ukraine.

Dear Razom community,

The sorting and packing in our New Jersey warehouse doesn’t stop and that’s thanks to all of your (and our partners’) donations and our teams’ procurements that continue to pour in.  Each of the steps you take, big or small, are a part of a chain of support that makes a difference in Ukraine.  Today we want to shine a light on two different teams at Razom – the hospitals team and the US migrant task force team. 

Razom Health team (hospitals@razomforukraine.org) is a segment of our Emergency Response project that coordinates and partners with global health and major disaster relief organizations to collect in-kind donations of hospital supplies and medicines for Ukraine. Those partners include MedShare, PartnersforWorldHealth, Americares, and Afya Foundation.  Thanks to our on the ground partners Zdorovi and Patients of Ukraine (Пацієнти України), we have access to five warehouses across 3 different cities in Ukraine to be able to reliably distribute aid to hospitals in need.  Here’s what they’ve accomplished so far:

  • MedGlobal x Razom x UMANA x Ministry of Health in Ukraine are partnering to facilitate the first of several week-long medical missions by bringing a team of 10 trauma surgeons to Lviv, traveling with 160 suitcases of medical supplies and portable butterfly ultrasounds.  They will provide trainings for Ukrainian doctors on poly trauma surgical procedures/diagnostics/surgeries, on operating portable butterfly ultrasounds (donated by MedGlobal), and educating doctors on how to prepare (and act) in case of chemical warfare.
  • PartnersforWorldHealth has sent over 26 pallets of medical supplies to Razom, 7 of which we shipped by air and the rest by sea (based on priority of needs in Ukraine).  
  • MedShare is finalizing its first sea container of medical supplies to go to Ukraine next week, and has invited Razom to its 10th Annual Share the Good Gala on April 4th to raise funds for humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. 
  • Americares is sending its 3rd large shipment of urgent medications next week via Razom for our partner in Ukraine Patients of Ukraine (Пацієнти України). 
  • We’ve also coordinated and received in-kind donations from hospitals and individual medical works that have collectively included:
    • 8 pallets of medical hospital supplies from UMass Memorial Medical Center
    • 1 woundvac and 5 boxes of surgical / central line catheters from private donations
    • 6 boxes of surgical supplies from Rhode Island Doctors donated to our tactical medicine efforts
  • FIGS donated 21 pallets of new hospital scrubs to military hospitals in Ukraine to boost morale of the overworked medical professionals.  
  • Help Heroes of Ukraine has been a major transportation partner for us, volunteering to deliver many pallets of aid on our behalf to our Meest warehouse in New Jersey.  

We are so grateful to be building long-term relationships with these organizations as they are key to Razom being able to respond quickly and at scale to needs in Ukraine.  There’s good reason we named ourselves Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian #RazomAccelerates.

Thanks to the work of the Door County Candle Company, there’s now a little bit of Ukraine lighting up homes in all 50 states in the U.S., including Puerto Rico.  Second generation Ukrainian-American, Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani, channeled her feelings of helplessness over what’s happening in Ukraine by putting her talents and resources to good use, and inspiring her community to do the same.  This artisan candle shop located in Sturgeon Bay, WI in Northern Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula, has raised over $300,000 (and counting) for Razom’s Emergency Response by selling over 40,000 “Ukraine” candles.  That’s double the amount they’d usually sell in a year!    

To be able to get this done, Christiana got her father, an ER doctor helping when he’s not on shift, her Door County community of volunteers, and even the previous owner of the shop, who came out of retirement to help streamline the process.  People drive up from hours away to be a part of the volunteer effort pouring and preparing candles or making lunches and coffee for the team.  Even Christiana’s 82 year-old grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine as a child during World War II, is helping to sticker the packages. 

Everyday people from all walks of life, professions, creeds, ethnicities, and worldviews unite to do one thing to help Ukraine, and it’s so beautiful.  You don’t have to do everything, but you can do something, and together, that can be extraordinary.

Finally, here’s a list of events we’d like to bring to your attention and encourage you to support:  

  • On Saturday, April 2nd theUkrainian Bandura Chorus Concert of North America will be performing a Save the Ukrainian Voice Charitable Concert in Michigan with all proceeds benefiting Razom.  
  • On Saturday, April 2nd refnight.com (who goes to a hockey game every year to cheer for the referees and raise money for charity) has chosen Razom for an evening at a New Jersey Devils hockey game. 
  • 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).
  • NYC Moms For A Cause will be hosting a Cocktail Reception to Benefit Ukrainian Families on April 12th, 6:30-9:00pm at the Ukrainian Institute of America.  The evening will include live performances, a silent auction, and heavy canapés and flowing drinks, all in support of Razom’s Emergency Response. 
  • April 30th from 3:30-7:30pm the Hudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction.  Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom’s Emergency Response project!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine. 

Stay Razom.

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.

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.

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.

Newsletter #3: Day 8 of Ukrainians’ incredible resistance

Published: March 3, 2022   

It’s not just March 3rd, it’s day eight of Russia’s war on Ukraine and Ukrainians’ incredible resistance.  Below, you’ll find the latest on how you can continue to get involved & support Ukraine, and updates on Razom’s Emergency Response project.  

Let’s begin with how to update your to-do list for today.  If Ukrainians dare to stop a tank with their bare hands, you can dare to do the following:

  • Thanks to the UACC’s (Ukrainian American Coordinating Council) quickly obtaining a special export license for regulated, military-grade items, you can now help us get protective gear for the civilian defense units that are protecting each city, town, and village in Ukraine.   This means procuring large shipments of military-grade helmets and armory vests.  
  • Keep putting the pressure on your representatives, the US administration, and European leaders to close the airspace over Ukraine, enact harsher sanctions to isolate Russia, seize russian oligarchs’ wealth, and provide more military & humanitarian support for Ukraine.  We’ve got some templates for that right here. 

Don’t worry, the list continues below…

  • Stay vigilant when it comes to disinformation.  Make sure that you are verifying where you’re submitting your donations given there are so many tools available to us for raising awareness.  Razom’s donation page has options for bank transfer, check, PayPal, Zelle, and crypto.  You can always choose to donate to fundraisers on Facebook or Instagram too (we’re finally blue check mark verified!), knowing those funds take a bit longer to arrive.
  • There is now a Ukrainian migrant task force consisting of experienced immigration attorneys, attorney bar associations, law firms, and law school clinics.  Razom volunteers are there too!  If you are a lawyer willing to help, fill out this form to get involved.
  • Join a rally to #StandWithUkraine to meet Ukrainians, connect with each other, and learn about what’s at stake in the world right now.  There’s a repository of rallies & protests held around the world here.  You can add a rally or protest to that list here.  
    • In New York City on Saturday, March 5th, there will be a 1pm rally in Times Square and a Stand With Ukraine Community Concertat 5pm at the Ukrainian National Home.  You can purchase your tickets to that here. 

An Update on Razom’s Emergency Response Project:

  • We’ve raised over $4M in the past week, and with your continued support hope to significantly increase that number.  It’s never been more important than now to support work in Ukraine.  
  • A 20 ton shipment of tactical medical and hospital supplies is making its way through customs in New Jersey right now.  
  • We’ve rented out a Boeing 787 from LOT Polish Airlines to be able to fill and transport an entire aircraft of only the most urgent emergency supplies for Ukraine by Tuesday, March 8th.
  • We’ve partnered with Americares to procure their entire surplus of tactical medical supplies (9 pallets) that should make it’s way to New Jersey in a day or two.   
  • We can’t wait to keep you updated on the impact of your support, and post regular updates about the project on our site. 

Newsletter #2: What Razom has accomplished in 3 days

Published: February 28, 2022   

Razom’s teams of volunteers – a truly diverse group of individuals and partnering organizations across US, Europe, and Ukraine – have been urgently working to establish highly efficient procurement, logistics, and distribution channels.  We are constantly working against the clock on this and cannot begin to properly thank all those determined to make it happen!  At the same time, we have been hard at work analyzing the overwhelming amount of support in donations from you and are finally here to deliver some long awaited updates. 

Razom was founded on purely volunteering efforts of Ukrainian Americans in NYC during the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine.  Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine.  We work towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner, and act.

Razom has maintained an open Emergency Response project since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 where we mobilized to procure medical and tactical supplies to the eastern front.  We picked up this project again in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to fundraise for, procure, and deliver medical supplies across covid hot spots in Ukraine.  Since 2014, the Emergency Response fund has always remained open for donors so that we were in a position to act swiftly in support of Ukrainians in crisis situations.  When reports came that Russia began amassing troops on Ukraine’s borders, we began actively promoting for the Emergency Response fund again on February 18, 2022.

Given that Razom is an entirely volunteer-run organization, our grassroots network is our key asset.  All of our fundraising efforts for the Emergency Response project are conducted via social media and word-of-mouth.  Donors have the option to donate via Facebook and Instagram where individuals are able to start their own fundraising campaigns on behalf of an organization.  Razom has spent years amplifying voices from Ukraine in conversations around the world, therefore we were able to swiftly communicate to our community the reality of the war in Ukraine.  We organized resources for those interested in an easily accessible information hub (Linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine) and our awareness and global reach grew at least sevenfold in a matter of one-and-a-half days.  Razom’s list of resources via the Linktree went viral, even so far as to become a poster slogan at major rallies across New York and D.C. and posted through the social media accounts of people with large followings.

Since our campaign going viral, to date, people have donated over $768,000 via social media alone.  These funds will take as much as four weeks to transfer to our accounts, as per the policies of Meta.  However with the increased visibility of Razom as a trusted resource for individuals looking to do something about the injustices and tragedy in Ukraine,  many people chose to donate directly to our PayPal and bank accounts.  Since February 18th, we’ve raised over $1.05M through those efforts.  Within 5 days 14,371 donors contributed directly; the average donation size was under $100.  In total, we expect to have $1.8M to deploy.

Over the past eight years, Razom has led several projects or partner projects in the healthcare space.  These include programs that allow doctors based in the US to train doctors in Ukraine (Co-Pilot Project) and organizing container shipments for hospitals in Ukraine.  During the global pandemic Razom led several waves of projects to procure and distribute PPE (in the early days of the pandemic) and later, medical equipment to hospitals. Thanks to the relationships nurtured and impact of those projects, we were able to identify doctors across the United States who could procure medical supplies on behalf of Razom.  This list of doctors doubled and tripled within hours through word-of-mouth allowing us to purchase more goods at once to fill large shipments.  

When it comes to the logistics and transport process, Razom is building a scalable, repeatable logistics operation to efficiently prioritize needs and deliver goods to the appropriate destinations.  We’re partnering with organizations in the US, Ukraine, and Poland, that we’ve worked with since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014.  Given the urgency and scale of the needs however, we are also actively building new partnerships.  We hope to provide more details soon, and in the meantime you can keep tabs on our progress over on our website. 

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Stay razom.

Newsletter #1: What Razom’s Doing and the First Urgent Shipment

Published: February 26, 2022   

This begins a series of newsletters from Razom to keep our community updated on our work and impact, and the resources available for you to join in.

Dear Razom Community, 

The past 24 hours have been unimaginable.  The reports that started flooding in from our friends, our loved ones, or the reports that wouldn’t come in for what felt like ages, is a moment in time that we know won’t leave us for a long time.  Razom volunteers have been mobilizing, coordinating, working nonstop across time zones to ensure we understand what Ukraine needs right now and how we can all help.  

We are in awe with the speed that volunteers across multiple states and countries found each other, focused, and organized to carry out this Emergency Response.  Especially when one considers the circumstances and the amount of obstacles that are thrown their way. At times it’s been incredibly overwhelming – especially when websites go down, or russian bots block Facebook fundraisers, or other organizations join the cause so swiftly, accelerating our fundraising efforts that we are simply overwhelmed.  So we’re here to take a collective deep breath and remind ourselves (and others!) about what resources, tools, networks, and tactics are available to us. 

Here’s what we must do (listed in order of urgency, every minute counts right now):

  • Write and call your elected officials to act immediately and enact debilitating sanctions on Russia (including cutting Russian banks off from SWIFT, and an embargo on Russian oil and gas), fully isolate Russia from the international community, provide weapons and equipment for Ukraine, and send financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.  Just do it, here’s a quick guide that’ll help you do it in no time. 
    • If you want to help us translate these guides into as many languages as possible, email Mariya Soroka to get involved at mariya@razomforukraine.org.
  • Join rallies around the world to raise awareness in your community locally, nationally, internationally to demand the world leaders support Ukraine and the public doesn’t take its eyes off the urgency of the situation.  You can find a constantly growing list of rallies here.   
    • Razom volunteers have some big bold ideas for how we can mobilize millions to put pressure on their governments to immediately stand with Ukraine.  Email Mariya Soroka if you want to get involved at mariya@razomforukraine.org 
    • Want to organize a rally? Do it. Share it with Razom and we’ll support you.
  • You can absolutely donate directly to the Ukrainian Army.  It’s pure and simple – heroes never die.   This is where to do it. 
  • There are many reputable, committed organizations that are raising funds for specific things.  They will give us the power to provide much needed humanitarian aid.  Consider donating to these and passing on to your friends and family as well: 
    • Our Razom Emergency Response fundraiser was created to provide urgent help and support in face of extreme and unforeseen situations in Ukraine.  For example right now, we are purchasing medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss and other tactical medicine items.  First deliveries started to trickle in and most are en route.  So far we’ve been able to use $50,000 of funds raised, and are continuing to work tirelessly to use them as effectively as possible.  
    • Nova Ukraine’s fundraiser for humanitarian aid is engaging donors on the West Coast.  Razom volunteers are collaborating directly with Nova Ukraine’s.
    • Project Kesher supports a network of multigenerational, trained leaders across Eastern Europe.  Like us, they are collecting an Emergency Fund.  
    • Come Back Alive has been supporting Ukrainian soldiers in Eastern Ukraine since 2014, with special emphasis on technical support, training, and medicine.   
    • Support Hospitals in Ukraine have sent over $4.05M in cargo to hospitals since 2014.  They continue their operation to support this key infrastructure in Ukraine at a time of war.
    • Army SOS is yet another great organization supporting Ukrainian soldiers by purchasing necessary ammunition, shields, intercommunication and reconnaissance facilities, uniforms and food supply. 
    • Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by hostilities and have been working on the ground in many villages and towns along the front lines in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 
    • Sunflower of Peace delivers lifesaving backpacks (for second level medical care according to the standards of tactical medicine) to Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, volunteers, and children.
    • Revived Soldiers Ukraine is yet another organization we’re collaborating directly with to send medical supplies as described above.

As always, if you want to donate your time/ energy/ skills/ smarts/ creativity/ ideas/ connections, email Mariya Soroka at mariya@razomforukraine.org.  That’s all it takes to become a Razom volunteer.  We need translators, writers, social media managers, medical specialists, logistics managers, fundraising specialists, people who have experience with refugee crises, and volunteer managers. 

There’s a straight line from the consistency with which Razom is able to connect people who care and do the work to our effectiveness as an organization.  The work isn’t easy and we don’t know what’s in store in the coming days or weeks, but as we stay up day and night for the people in Ukraine, we also look out for each other as Razom volunteers.

In the first 24 hours, while fundraising efforts were gaining full momentum, we connected an impressive team of Razom volunteers and nearly 20 partner organizations (Ukrainian, European, and US) with the expertise and resilience to create channels through which we could safely deliver much-needed goods across the Ukrainian border.  As of today, there’s a trusted corridor between Poland and Ukraine that links two warehouses where life-saving supplies can be stored and distributed further. Meest-America, the trusted package and freight delivery service providing logistics solutions to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucus, offered to fill their plane to the full with humanitarian goods from several organizations, including ours. Flying from Clifton, New Jersey, the first shipment is en route right now. We expect it to reach Ukraine in two days.

Given that the situation on the ground in Ukraine shifts rapidly, it is our hope that the channels we’ve established between the US and Ukraine via Poland will be a route of delivery we are able to repeat on multiple occasions.   

Right now, we are actively looking for contacts with international humanitarian organizations or wholesale companies where we can purchase medical and tactical supplies.  Our logistics network is well developed, but the procurement network needs most urgent support.  If you can connect us to people who work or worked with such organizations or companies, we would be grateful.  You can reach out to us at info@razomforukraine.org.  

The latest supplies we purchased are listed below. Please be aware that not all purchases have made it to Clifton, NJ at the same time so we are working to maintain a consistent green corridor between US, Poland, and Ukraine.

  • 100 disposable resuscitators
  • 90 survival wrap packs
  • 1000+ tourniquets
  • 150 water jel burn dressings
  • 30 abdominal pads
  • 20 woven sterile sponges

We will continue to keep you updated and ensure your donations are well spent.  Our team is working on providing a more detailed list of funds raised and spending. Please bear with us as our volunteers are responding on multiple fronts – media, humanitarian, and more – and are trying our best.

Тримаймося,

Razom For Ukraine