Trawden for Ukraine

This morning we visited a food wholesale market and bought bulk quantities of potatoes, onions, leeks, cabbages, parsnips, parsley, apples and satsumas. These will be part of our first aid drop in Kyiv tomorrow.

We are delivering to a small women's voluntary group that supports families with disabilities, physical and mental, as well as an ever-growing refugee population. These people get very little help from the state and, as the volunteers are not a registered charity, they are unable to access the aid warehouses. So we try to support them whenever we can, which we're able to do on this occasion, thanks to generous donations from Trawden community shop and volunteers who raised money at a Christmas craft fair. 

Many people in Kyiv live in apartments and Irina, the lead volunteer, tells us that, due to the power cuts in Kyiv that last for hours each day, people have taken to cooking outside on fires, stoves, etc. So the vegetables will be used communally, for soups, stews, etc.

Donations from Trawden volunteers and other individuals have also enabled us to buy children's stationery for the Kyiv community - many of the children have to study online. There is an artist's canvas, and assorted paints and brushes, for a disabled young girl we met, who is an amazing artist. We bought single electric hot plates and men's thermal socks, which will go to a village that was bombed and is being rebuilt, in Chernihiv region (our second aid drop).

We also have a large quantity of candles and good quality winter coats, sweaters, hats, gloves etc., donated by members of church communities in Krakow area, including St Anthony of Padua and Mydlniki.

Our good friend, Tomasz, Paszki dla Ukrainy (Packages for Ukraine), is funding this trip again, including continuing to entrust us with his van, and he has given us some money to buy further aid, e.g. cooking utensils, food, power banks, torches and lanterns, for the Chernihiv village.

We would also like to thank our new American volunteer friend, a passionate baker, who has baked two large cakes for us to share with the communities we are visiting. 

So this aid run is very much another joint effort - thanks to all those who support us.

If you can help, please donate in the usual way:

1. Open PayPal and, when asked for name of payee or email, enter trawden4ukraine@hotmail.com. 

2. Use the collection box in Trawden community shop. 

Thank you.