We Need To Talk About…Helping Ukraine & Taking Action

How To Help Ukraine

Every now and again I ask you all and myself, “How are you doing…really?” It’s the “really” that makes you pause and think, right? Maybe you’re feeling optimistic and hopeful about life in general. Or you might be riddled with anxiety and worry…OR like me, a combination of both. The unnerving stream of heartbreaking headlines about the Russian invasion of Ukraine can make even the most positive person feel lost and powerless. When you compound worldly devastation with the personal troubles, big and small, we deal with every day, from sick or aging loved ones to inner battles and insecurities, it can be paralyzing. When they say, “the struggle is real”, it’s no joke!

So, what do you do? What concrete things can a person do to help triumph over struggle? I for one don’t have all the answers (nobody does) but I CAN tell you what works for me. Taking action. Even small steps toward making a difference can have a huge impact. Establishing a take-action approach and mindset can not only bring about actual physical change but the mental benefits are equally important. If you’ve been here a while, you know how much I love to learn. Educating myself as much as possible on difficult issues makes me feel less powerless and, in some small way, more in control.

Taking Action

I read this staggering statistic that every second, a Ukrainian child becomes a refugee. This is unbelievably upsetting and really hard to wrap my head around. It’s easy to think, “Wow, that’s just awful”, but also feel handcuffed to the idea that there’s nothing I can do to change that. You might feel there isn’t one thing you can do as an individual to make a difference, but you CAN. There are tons of organizations where donations are needed and getting involved, even in a small way, matters. Here are a few ways you can lend your support.

1) Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)  – the DEC is an umbrella group that brings together 15 leading aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently overseas providing food, water, shelter, and medical assistance. You can donate via the DEC website, the individual member sites, or via cash or card at the Post Office.

2) Save The Children – their Ukraine crisis relief fund helps provide children and families with immediate aid, such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance.

3) Money Transfers – this site will allow you to make a direct transfer to Ukraine upon registering with your chosen provider.

4) Hosting Refugees – you can learn more about hosting refugees in your home or private property at UkraineTakeShelter and MyHomeIsYourHome.

5) Local Donations – check your city for any local donation drop-off centers if you wish to donate items rather than make a monetary donation. Many churches, cultural centers, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Salvation Army are shipping donated items like first aid kits, clothing, and blankets to Ukraine each week.

Look For The Helpers

As a little kid, I remember hearing from adults that in times of trouble you should, “Look for the helpers”. Finding hope within the heartbreak and highlighting the helpers, can make us all feel better about humanity. There are 2 stories I wanted to share with you…both show how action leads to results. The image above shows an 80-year-old man volunteering to join the Ukrainian army with a small suitcase in hand. Inside the case were a change of clothing, a toothbrush, and a few sandwiches. He said he was doing it for his grandkids. While I felt tremendous sadness when I saw this picture, I also felt so much pride for this complete stranger…doing his part.

Small Hands, Big Handout

This second image shows two, young brothers from the UK. Upset about the war and wanting to make a difference, they decided to bake homemade cookies and sell them to neighbors. They received donations of £441 (over $500) just by taking action in their small but powerful way.

There really is no solution or easy answer to overcoming these real problems, but doing something is always better than doing nothing. This extends to all troubles or issues we experience day in and day out. Steps are action, action is progress, and progress is what leads to results. We may know and understand this intellectually, but putting it into practice takes some effort.

If you’d like to read more from our, Let’s Talk About Series, you can find additional thought-provoking topics here.

Do you have an uplifting story to share about taking action in your life and how you overcame struggle? We would love to hear about it in the comments. Your story may be the exact inspiration another person needs to take action in their own lives. (And, if you aren’t already signed up for my newsletter, you can subscribe here. We provide exclusive content and valuable style resources but what we don’t do…is inundate your inbox.)

Thanks for stopping by!