How this Lynchburg Organization is Helping Ukrainians
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sympathy has struck the hearts of people around the world. War has come to the backyards of Ukrainian families. The place where a father and mother once raised their children in peace and stability is the same place where these families must part ways as violence grows.
World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization located in Forest, Virginia, provides support and relief for people in a crisis such as this. It has responded to the cry of the people of Ukraine in their time of need.
This year World Help has responded to the crisis in Afghanistan and the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Kraig Cole, the director of international partnerships at World Help, traveled to Ukraine to assess the need.
“It was a good opportunity to meet some of the folks who are displaced and hear their stories and see how best we can help them while also connecting with our partners in Ukraine and really giving them encouragement for the difficult task they have ahead,” Cole said.
The aggressive Russian invasion came as a surprise to the world and to World Help. According to Cole, World Help was able to act quickly due to its international partners being located within the country.
“We can imagine how difficult it is for the people who are still there within Ukraine. The violence is unimaginable,” Cole said. “You have families being torn apart, facing very traumatic situations … For us to be able to step in and provide them with a hot meal, a place to sleep for the night and transportation to the border means the world to them.”
The international partners that World Help has joined are an integral part to the aid that is being given to those in need. Through the connection of local churches in Ukraine, World Help’s international partnership has led to men and women of faith in adapting to the geography, language and culture of Ukraine to be effective in their strategic plan to use the resources that World Help provides. These partners meet physical needs while providing trauma counseling and sharing the gospel.
As a result of the intense violence and bloodshed occurring along the Ukrainian countryside and escalating along the roads leading to the nation’s capital of Kyiv, women and children are fleeing the hot spots … Men between the ages of 18 and 60 must stay and fight. Cole says that World Help will continue to provide help where help is due but believes the growing occupation of Russian troops in Ukraine could stunt some of their efforts.
“We’re definitely in it for the long haul. The situation is at a very difficult point right now,” Cole said. “You have a lot of key cities within Ukraine that are encircled by Russian troops and so the ability to get aid in that window of opportunity is closing … so we’re trying to work around the clock get aid into those Ukrainian cities while also providing a safe route of escape for those who’d like to leave the country.”
For more information about World Help, students can visit worldhelp.net.
Licari is a news reporter.