My good friend Dima is from Lviv. He was a local church member and kept contact with the pastor even after moving to the United States. Right now, his organization is working day and night to help refugees who are fleeing Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Lviv is a city located on the west side of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest and biggest cities in the region. It is a crucial stop for all evacuees fleeing the country or looking for a safe place to wait.
About the organization.
We are working with Lviv Central Baptist Church. Lviv Central Baptist Church serves all refugees no matter of their beliefs or origin. They help all people affected by war who seek shelter in their walls. They buy beds, clothing and food for people in need. They help people move across the border. For the ones who chose to stay, they provide food and shelter. There are 100 people who currently live in their church. 700 others live with families of church members. It doesn't seem like a lot on the scale of the country, but many small organizations like this make a huge difference.
The main issue right now is thousands of people who can't evacuate and are starving in affected cities. Lviv Central Baptist Church sends food to shelters in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa. They work fast and efficient, helping one shelter at the time.
This organization has its own Telegram channel where they constantly post updates about their activity. I posted some examples in the slideshow. You can find more here.
If you don't have Telegram app, I will be posting updates on this page a couple times a week. You also can sign up for their newsletter.
There are a lot of different organizations who help Ukrainian refugees. I chose to work with this one, because I trust my friend Dima. He shares profits from his small business with Lviv Baptist Central Church. He owns a small coffee shop in Aurora. It is called "Wake & Take". If you want to know more about his organization, you are welcome to stop by, get to know and learn about his pastor Yaroslav.
How to donate
Option 1
If you want to donate money, you can directly give it to the pastor. His name YAROSLAV NAZARKEVYCH. You also can send it to Lviv Central Baptist church the HART (Humanitarian aid response teams). They have offices in the US and Canada. The gifts are tax deductible and all necessary procedure are being kept well (reporting, accountability etc).
Call: 1.888.788.3880
Tell them that you what to donate toward (then you decide) either to Yaroslav Nazarkevych - Lviv Central Baptist church, or some other goals that they serve.
Donate and, if you can, tell me the amount (if you do that on my name or the name of the church).
Option 2
You can donate with PayPal or ZELLE. One of the ministers of the church Davyd Karcha used to live in United Staes and has US accounts. This is the quickest way to send funds. When you send funds via PayPal and ZELLE please mention "Help to refugees in Ukraine" so you can use it as a receipt.
How Ana & RCC support the cause
Every time you send money to Ukraine, you give a chance to someone to see another day. This program helps the most vulnerable people, families who are lost, have sick relatives and who don't have enough money to leave the country.
I have just started my business and do not make much money, but I can't stand by and do nothing. I will send 10% of my profits to support the cause. For all my students who can donate money to Ukraine, I guarantee a flat discounted price for the rest of the year, which is $299 instead of $500 for a 2-month session.