Making A Difference in Ukraine
Over the last year, 8 million people -- mostly women and children -- have fled their homes to escape the war in Ukraine. But rebuilding a new life in a new country is not easy.
Ivanna knows how that feels. She arrived in Romania with her two young children. They’d left their home in Harkiv, one the most heavily-bombed cities in Ukraine. Ivana and her husband had decided, while huddling in their basement, that the safest path would be for her and the kids to flee.
“We will never be able to return to Harkiv,” she says sadly. “Our house was destroyed. We have to look for another house in another country.” She’s hoping to end up in Canada, to be joined by her husband. Meanwhile, her youngest, Vania, is turning one in a few days. Ivanna worries about the stress on the kids, and how the trauma will impact their brain development.
Leaving Bucharest, Ivanna accepts water, fruit and food for her trip, as well as diapers for the baby, offered by United Way Romania. It makes the trip a little easier.
In the first six months of the war, United Way and our partners in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain gave life-changing help to 131,249 refugees. Our United for Ukraine Fund raised $4.2M during that time. Of every dollar raised, 95 cents goes to on-the-ground partners, while 5 cents helps United Way vet recipients, track and measure impact.
United Way and our partners have shown up for the displaced citizens of Ukraine in powerful ways – small and large. You can read more about the impact of United Way's work for Ukrainian refugees in this interim impact report.
As the war rages on, United Way and our partners continue to provide short- and long-term relief to Ukrainian refugees. Many of the women who have been displaced are young, lower-income, ethnic minorities or single moms. Once they complete the arduous trip to their new country, they’ll have to find permanent shelter, learn a new language, find a new job, get their children educational and mental health support, and more.
United Way and our partners are supporting them each step of the way. Please join us.