Ukraine: The World is with You, Part 3 of 4

At the end of May, our Association members from Poland donated approximately €2,000 (about US$2,015) to the Pałacyk Foundation, which used the funds to purchase vegan food and daily necessities to help the Ukrainian military and displaced people through the charitable organization Oberig-26.

The Poland-based Big Heart Foundation is another charitable organization that distributes food to needy Ukrainian citizens and soldiers. To support the organization, in April our Association members in the UK contributed nine pallets of VBites canned beans - a vegan meal-in-a-tin. Then on June 5, a check for £26,500 (about US$31,553) contributed by our Association members was presented to Big Heart representative Ms. Wera Szewczyk.

Supreme Master Ching Hai’s generous contribution of another €100,000 (approximately US$100,806) that arrived in June, allowed our Association members to continue their mission of aiding the Ukrainian people and their animal friends. Master’s funds were used to provide for those most in need including refugees, defenders, orphans, families, and the animal-people living in war-torn regions.

The relief team purchased an assortment of vegan food, such as dry grains, canned vegetables, canned and dry beans, vegan fruit cocktail, and spices from a wholesaler, who kindly gave the team extra items for free. The food was then re-packaged with each bag containing ingredients to make a complete vegan meal for the recipients. Included in each food shipment were children’s backpacks containing toys, vegan snacks, and information on veganism. Through the organization U Aid Direct (uaiddirect.org) as well as kind individuals in Poland, the food was delivered to Ukrainians most in need.

Our relief team members lovingly prepared over 3,000 children’s backpacks and distributed them to multiple refugee centers in Poland, as well as to many refugees at train stations in Poland arriving from and departing to Ukraine, orphanages in Lviv, and people attending sporting events in Lutsk. The team also handed out small cash gifts of €10 to €1,000 (US$10 to US$1,008) to individuals for specific necessities such as fuel, train tickets, and groceries for families, while encouraging everyone to buy only vegan items.

To help animal-people in need, the relief team purchased approximately €20,000 (US$20,161) worth of vegan animal-people food and veterinary medicines based on the requests of various animal-people shelters in Ukraine.