AMD for HOPE

For the first three days after Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine, Anna Demchyshyn cried. She watched the news all day, unable to sleep, with her children tucked safely in their Niagara Falls home, worrying about her family 7,700 kilometers away.  Demchyshyn, 33, gathered her thoughts and decided to help.  She connected with "Niagara Warehouse of Hope", which gathers hospital and mobility equipment and "Not Just Tourists" who collect first aid and healthcare supplies, including antibiotics.  They had 156 boxes ready within days. Saint Peter and Saint Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Niagara Falls offered space to gather supplies, and what began as a small Facebook group, #HelpUkraineNiagara2022, now has more than 400 volunteers to inventory items and set up shipments.  AMD for Hope has delivered 50,000 antibiotic pills, 90,000 pills of medication for diabetes and more than 1,000 kilograms of humanitarian aid to eight hospitals in five regions in central and eastern Ukraine.  The first shipment (73 boxes, weighing 1,002 kg) went out within days and arrived in Warsaw, Poland, last month.  AMD for Hope is sending out another container to Ukraine this month — sponsored by Niagara Warehouse of Hope — which will include rehabilitation equipment and food donations from Niagara Christian Gleaners.  Every day, volunteers bring new items and connect with other community resources.  St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church also brought its extra donations.  “All of us are just heartbroken,” said Demchyshyn. “Every day, there’s something new and more horrendous than the day before. When we get together, we know we’re packing … and most importantly, that it’s getting there. That’s what keeps us going.”

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