Are you wondering how to pay your support? We have listed some examples of local, and more global, initiatives in this blog.
On the radio, the television news, in the newspapers and on news apps, we have seen only one thing in recent weeks: the terrible events in Ukraine. The tragic images evoke feelings of fear and powerlessness in many people. It is not possible to improve the situation single-handedly, but a lot of initiatives have been set up to help the people affected by the war.
Despite the distance, we can be of value for Ukrainian. From small local initiatives to large relief efforts by global organizations, every action counts. There are many large-scale initiatives that support people who are seeking protection in neighboring countries.
"As an example, we as a company were wondering what we could do. We quickly came up with the idea to convert part of our office (100m2) into a living space for refugees."
~ Jerom van Beuzekom, Co-Founder of Zero Packaging
Photo: Ukrainian family who stayed in our office, with Jerom van Beuzekom (left)
Later on we will go into more detail. This is how we contributed, and how you could pay your support them.
1. Donate
The first way that everyone has probably already thought of is donating money. At the moment, there are a lot of initiatives raising money to help people from Ukraine. Because you always have to be a little careful about where you send your money, we looked for a few ways in which you can contribute financially and of which you can be sure that it ends up with those who need it most.
UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency has been working in Ukraine since 1994, implementing protection, aid and housing programs in many places. Now that the situation has escalated to such an extent, any donation is more than welcome. You can choose for a one-time donation or a monthly contribution. For every euro donated, 84 cents goes directly to people in need in the field.
Go to their website: https://donate.unhcr.org/
Giro 555 - They offer help to refugees with shelter, water and food. They also work on sanitation and supply medicines. And if you love running, cycling or any other activity? Set yourself a goal and ask sponsoring from friends and family to raise money for Ukraine. They have already raised 160 million euros.
Go to their website: https://giro555.nl/
2. Book an Airbnb in Ukraine.
To help Ukrainians directly, stays are being booked en masse in Ukrainian cities. When you book a stay, you will of course not stay there. But with this you can support the Ukrainian owners financially, and it is a good, creative way to help people directly.
3. Donate materials
Another way to lend a helping hand is by donating material. For example, the 'Ukrainians in the Netherlands' foundation collects different materials at different locations. Do you want to know exactly what they collect and where you can drop it off? Read this document and see what you can do.
Other initiatives for donating material are often organized locally. Take a look at the local website. In an easy overview, they indicate per location what you can do in your area to contribute.
4. Provide housing
In the wake of the war breaking out in Ukraine, we came up with an idea to convert our office (100m2) into living space for refugees. We quickly collected everyone's help - one arranged pots and pans while another brought shower curtains; within 1 week they had turned what was once just some walls into a loft-like setting that made it feel homey again! Because we were able to do this together, it really brings solidarity and everyone is happy to be able to do something. The first family as shown in the photo has moved on to their own rented house. As a result, we are once again making space available to refugees.
When you have space left, and you want to open your house to Ukrainian, via the VluchtelingenWerk foundation you can register. There are many other organizations that link families with local shelters. When registering as a host family, you receive people who are urgently looking for accommodation. For all the information, click here.
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