How Can I Help Women & Children in Ukraine?

The tragedy unfolding in Ukraine is heartbreaking. There aren’t enough words to describe the pain of the Ukrainian people right now.

If you want to do whatever you can to help, here are some useful resources, links, and people to follow on social media to show your support. We all want to do our bit to help support those impacted by the Ukrainian crisis, so whether you want to donate money, time, or research the Ukrainian conflict to get the full story, here are some useful resources.

We stand with Ukraine. 🌻

In this article: 📝

What is happening in Ukraine?

As you may have heard, Russian forces have invaded Ukraine ‒ essentially starting a war between the two countries.

As Ukrainian men are conscripted to take up arms, the women and children of Ukraine are forced to flee their homes and keep the spirit of the country alive.

Ukrainian women are giving birth in bunkers, trying to feed themselves and their children on scarce food supplies, sending their children to school wearing stickers showing their blood type, while avoiding seemingly random artillery shells.

The situation is heartbreaking, but the strength of the Ukrainian people never ceases to amaze us.

Here’s how we can all help our Ukrainian sisters and their families.

What can I do to help Ukraine?

Making a monetary donation is one of the ways you can help support Ukrainian families during the crisis, but if you’re not able to, here are some other ways you can help:

1. Book an Airbnb in Ukraine. While you can’t stay in Ukraine at the moment, booking an Airbnb but not staying can get money directly to Ukrainian families letting out their homes.
2. Show your solidarity on social media. The sunflower (national flower of Ukraine) has become the symbol of the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people during the conflict after a brave woman stood up to Russian military forces by putting sunflower seeds in their pockets. Show your support on social media by sharing news, places to donate, and supporting Ukrainian accounts with the hashtag #StandWithUkraine and the sunflower emoji. 🌻
3. Take part in a Peace Protest. Show your solidarity by joining a Peace Protest in your local area. If there isn’t one nearby, why not start your own and spread the word?
4. Talk about what's happening in Ukraine. Talking to children, family, and friends about the Ukraine conflict is fundamental. Children, in particular, will likely know what’s happening, even if they don’t fully understand it. It can be a frightening experience for them, so talking about it and how you can provide support can help allay those worries.
5. Write to your representative. Writing to your congressman (if you’re based in the US) or MP (if you’re in the UK) can help amplify the voices of Ukrainian families needing humanitarian aid. If you’re not sure what to write, Boundless has created this useful template.
6. Donate items. Whether you check what items you already have or buy new items to donate is entirely up to you, but chances are, you have something that you’re not using (or not using much) that could be invaluable to Ukrainian women and children. Not sure where to donate? Check social media for items to donate nearby.
7. Follow Ukrainian publications on social media. The voices of Ukrainian publications are being silenced, but some are still able to share the stories of the people of Ukraine. Some accounts you can follow are: Ukraine UA, Stand with Ukraine, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainians in Solidarity, and Online Media Svidomi. Follow their stories, comment, like, and share, to keep their voices heard.
8. Pronouncing Ukrainian words. Some Ukrainian words have long been mispronounced by English-speaking countries, but now’s the time to change the narrative. Instead of pronouncing ‘Kyiv’ as ‘kee-ev’ (the Russian pronunciation), say ‘kee-yiv’ (the Ukrainian pronunciation). Similarly, referring to Ukraine as ‘the Ukraine’ is outdated ‒ this was the name of the country when it was part of Poland and the Soviet Union.

Who should I donate to for Ukraine?

If you’d like to make a monetary donation, you may want to know what organizations are helping Ukraine.

Here are a few verified charities helping Ukraine you can donate to if you’re able to (if you’re on a budget, please don’t feel obligated to donate money ‒ there are other ways you can help):

UN Women

Women’s rights in Ukraine are at risk ‒ not only during the Ukrainian conflict but potentially afterward, too.

Help the Ukrainian women, girls, and children seeking shelter and humanitarian support by making a one-off or monthly donation to the UN Women:

Donate to UN Women

Care

Care’s Ukraine Crisis Fund is looking to provide help to 4 million Ukrainian people ‒ and they need your help.

Your donation could help provide support to the innocent families, women, children, and elderly heavily impacted by the Ukrainian conflict.

Donate to Care

USA for UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency)

Your monthly or one-off donation to the UNHCR can help the thousands of Ukrainian refugee families seeking shelter right now.

The UNHCR is working hard to provide shelter, food, water, and medicine to Ukrainian families who need it.

Donate to USA for UNHCR

Save the Children

Save the Children have created a Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund for donations specifically for the children of Ukraine.

Should you wish to donate to Save the Children, your money will go towards getting Ukrainian children and their families the resources they need to keep going.

Donate to Save the Children

What items are needed for Ukrainian refugees?

Even a clear-out of your home or a visit to the shop can help Ukrainian families in need of support.

Reach out to your local donation points who are sending packages to Ukraine to see what items they’re looking for right now, but here are some ideas if you’re not sure:

• Unopened over-the-counter pain medication (like aspirin, Tylenol, paracetamol, and ibuprofen)
• Bandages and gauze (or other medical supplies)
• First-aid kits
• Sleeping bags
• Camping mats
• Tents
• Blankets
• Thermal clothing
• Hot water bottles
• Insulated flasks
• Baby food (that doesn’t require refrigeration)
• Sanitary products (like tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual underwear, and sanitary pads)
• Nappies
• Fully-charged power banks
• Backpacks
• Socks
• Sudocrem and Vaseline
• Warm baby clothes
• Hats, gloves, and scarves
• Non-perishable foods (like canned goods, protein bars, and cereal bars)
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Shampoo and soap
• Towels
• Breast milk bottles and pumps
• Winter coats
• Baby wipes and make-up wipes
• Torches
• Pet food and bowls
  Watching a crisis like this can cause anxiety, so if you feel overwhelmed, take some time for yourself.

It’s also important to look after your mental health.

Keeping track of what’s happening in Ukraine is important, but your mental wellbeing is also important.

We wish with all our hearts that this wasn’t happening, but sadly, it is.

Together, we can help support our Ukrainian sisters and their families to get through this.

We stand with Ukraine. 🌻