“How quickly can we collect and ship the goods?” asked Barnabas Fund’s coordinator in Moldova.
Two million people have now fled their homes in Ukraine. Over half of them are children and most of the rest are women and the elderly. In the winter’s cold and snow, they are crossing into Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, desperate to find safety. Unprepared for such a crisis, they fled at short notice and took little with them. Many thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters are amongst them.
Within Ukraine over 650,000 people are without electricity, according to the Ministry of Energy, and 130,000 without gas. A growing number of internally displaced people are seeking refuge in overcrowded shelters in what they hope are safer parts of Ukraine.
A pastor who left Kyiv and is now in another Ukrainian city, near the Romanian border, told Barnabas Fund that people are starving and urged us to organise containers of food for them. With warehouses and trucks ready to deliver food throughout the country, his church there just needs food delivered to it, so that they can send it on.
Believers in Moldova providing food for the refugees. Can you help support churches in neighbouring countries desperate to help their Ukrainian neighbours?
Food, blankets and warm clothes will be on their way by Monday
We are thrilled, grateful to God and thankful to our supporters for their quick and generous response to our appeal last week. Already more than six tonnes of food and five tonnes of blankets, coats and other clothes have been delivered to our Swindon warehouse. More is arriving daily and still more waiting to be collected from our hubs. The first lorry will be loaded this weekend and, Lord willing, arrive in northern Romania by the middle of next week.
Thank you also to all the wonderful volunteers who have stepped forward to assist in practical ways, such as delivering goods to Swindon, sorting and packing them there, or to undertake the arduous drive across Europe.
Please keep giving and please keep praying for Ukraine and the whole region.
As well as sending goods, we are sending funds – some into Ukraine itself and some to Poland and Moldova for churches near the Ukrainian border to use to care for refugees. Food and heating fuel are the main costs.
One of our project partners in Moldova wrote:
“We thank God for our partners at Barnabas Fund, who showed more zeal and care for the thousands of people who found themselves in the street on the night of 24 February, with their homes destroyed, causing them to evacuate and leave their homes for other countries. Thank you for your prompt response and for the unity of the children of God in helping people in need.”
Christians are providing for African and other non-white people who have faced discrimination when fleeing Ukraine
We still need YOUR help
1. Barnabas Fund is calling for donated goods for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, specifically:
a. tinned food (that can be opened without a can opener), cup-a-soup packets and energy bars;
Will you and your church collect goods for Ukraine? We already have over 30 partner churches throughout the UK who are acting as collection hubs (please click here to see a list). We can then arrange for the goods to be delivered to our Swindon warehouse. Alternatively, you can volunteer to drive the goods to Swindon.
2. Do you have a van/lorry that could transport the goods to the borders of Ukraine – Poland, Romania, Moldova? Would you consider volunteering to drive a van/lorry?
Please contact us on 01793 317778 or complete this form.
3. Funds are still needed, particularly for heating the church halls and other buildings now housing refugees. Our partners in the region have told us of their soaring fuel bills. If you would like to make a financial donation, please click here .
God willing, these blankets and warm clothes, as well as food, donated by supporters in UK, will be in Romania by the middle of next week
