Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine

Donate to Provide Medical Supplies and Humanitarian Aid

Ukrainians have put together a list of organizations where you can donate to help people affected by the crisis. Those organizations include:

• United Help Ukraine – receives and distributes donations, food, and medical supplies to internally displaced Ukrainians, anyone affected by the conflict, and the families of wounded or killed soldiers.
• Nova Ukraine, – a Ukraine-based nonprofit, provides citizens with everything from baby food and hygiene products, to clothes and household supplies.
• People in Need – is providing humanitarian aid to over 200,000 people on the ground. For those most in need, they provide food packages, emergency shelter, safe access to drinking water, hygiene items, and coal for heating.
• The Ukrainian Red Cross – does loads of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors.
• International Medical Corps – is on the front lines and prepared to help citizens with emergency health care services, as well as mental health and psychosocial support. The agency is also keeping the pandemic top of mind throughout the crisis by prioritizing COVID-19 awareness and prevention services, to help keep displaced citizens safe from the pandemic.
• CARE International – is responding to the crisis by providing Ukrainians in need with food, hygiene kits, psychosocial support services, access to water, and access to cash.
• UNICEF Ukraine – is repairing schools damaged by the bombings and providing an emergency response to children affected by the conflict.
• United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) – the United Methodist community in Ukraine, though quite small, is actively engaged in assisting neighbors in need. Global Ministries is in touch with the church’s leadership as well as with church leaders in countries welcoming those who are fleeing from violence in Ukraine. Contributions may be made to Advance #982450, UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery. This fund will provide direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.

Support Journalism

• The Kyiv Independent – describes itself as “created by journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence.” You can help keep the curtains up for the independent Ukrainian English-language media outlet by donating to its Patreon or GoFundMe fundraiser.
• Ukraine World – is an independent English-language multimedia project that emerged from a volunteer initiative helping international journalists during the 2014 “Revolution of Dignity.” Support it by donating to its Patreon.
• The New Voice of Ukraine – covering news in three different languages — English, Ukrainian, and Russian — the New Voice of Ukraine has not only covered breaking news, but has released informative analyses on the situation that detail how the situation led to this point, and is continuously publishing op-eds by Ukranian scholars and experts that help to give a view of tone of the situation.
• Kyiv Post – the only non-independent media outlet on this list, and it is important that those following state-funded outlets are aware that they are affiliated with the state. The outlet has been at the forefront of delivering breaking news directly from government and national offices, releasing statements from ministry officials, military leads, and other dignitaries. You can read more on its website or follow it on Twitter.
• CNN Reporter Daniel Dale compiled a Twitter list – verified journalists reporting the best information about the invasion.
• Olga Tokariuk – a verified independent correspondent working in Kyiv, sending frequent tweets on the latest information while also capturing the humanity of living in Kyiv.
• Global Leaders are all tweeting their updates and responses to the situation as well: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba are active on Twitter in English, giving regular updates. U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are tweeting about the U.S. and international response to the invasion. And UN Secretary General António Guterres and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are giving updates.

Support Refugees

Of course, for many Ukrainians, the threat of full-scale war is driving them to seek safety in neighboring countries. In a statement, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “We have already seen reports of casualties and people starting to flee their homes to seek safety.” Accordingly, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has stepped up its operations and is working with governments in neighboring countries “calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection.”

• Donate here.

Support the LGBTQ+ Community in Ukraine

In times like these, LGBTQ+ members are often even more marginalized and exposed to vulnerability than usual. OutRight Action International is stepping up to make sure that they are not left behind and that they are protected in this time of crisis. The organization will be helping to support LGBTQ+ groups and organizations on the ground who are setting up shelters and providing safety for citizens. All donations made to OutRight will go directly to the cause.

If you are unable to donate, or would like to do more to support LGBTQ+ citizens, the you can also sign up to OutRight’s newsletter to stay up to date on the crisis and how it is affecting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.

Stay Informed

If the last few weeks leading up to this moment have taught us anything, it’s that the situation is changing rapidly, and in times like these, it is crucial that the right information is being shared and consumed. One of the best ways to help the most vulnerable in Ukraine is by staying on top of what is happening on the ground, and learning more about how citizens are being affected by the conflict. We’ve rounded up a few trustworthy sources you can refer to for updates:

Trustworthy News Sources

• The Kyiv Independent – the Kyiv Independent has been a leading voice on the front lines, covering a timeline of ongoing events since the beginning and highlighting those who have been most affected by the violent attack. The English-language outlet is continuously reporting on how the invasion and conflict are impacting citizens, the economy, as well as Ukrainian foreign politics. Keep up to date on its website or on Twitter.
• The New Voice of Ukraine – covering news in three different languages — English, Ukrainian, and Russian — the New Voice of Ukraine has not only covered breaking news, but has released informative analyses on the situation that detail how the situation led to this point, and is continuously publishing op-eds by Ukrainian scholars and experts that help to give a view of tone of the situation. Read more on its website.
• Ukraine World – while Ukraine World is not posting breaking news and timeline updates on its website, it is very active on its social media accounts. Its independent journalists on the front lines have gathered first-hand footage, and it is using its account to share other informative sources that its followers can refer to in order to keep up to date.
• Kyiv Post – the only non-independent media outlet on this list, and it is important that those following state-funded outlets are aware that they are affiliated with the state. Having said that, the outlet has been at the forefront of delivering breaking news directly from government and national offices, releasing statements from ministry officials, military leads, and other dignitaries. You can read more on its website or follow it on Twitter.

Social Media

• Stand With Ukraine – Uploading concise, yet well-informed Instagram posts and stories, Stand With Ukraine is a community page that has been dedicated to sharing knowledge wrap-ups based on the ongoing situation, as well as ways that followers can support citizens from wherever they are.
• Svidomi – Get updates on the ongoing conflict as they happen from this Instagram account — the English version of a Ukrainian social media-based media outlet — which is sharing brief, yet frequent posts about exactly what is happening on the front lines, and who is being most impacted.
• Ukrainians in Solidarity – This is an Instagram account that has posted digestible information on how followers can support Ukrainian citizens, and has used the platform to upload messages of solidarity for citizens in the country. Previously the account has been used to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and taught Ukrainian citizens how to be an ally to people of color.

Learn More About the Situation

If this is the first you’re hearing about the crisis in Ukraine and you want to learn more about the background to the situation, read this Kyiv Post article, “10 popular misconceptions about Ukraine debunked”; watch Netflix’s documentary Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom; and listen to this podcast by Ukraine World on how Russia uses disinformation as an instrument of war.

Join a Peace Protest

If you’re following and keeping up to date with the ongoing situation on the ground, but you still want to do more and/or you don’t have the financial means to donate, consider joining demonstrators around the world — from London to Tokyo — who have taken to the streets to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Find your nearest demonstration.

This page adapted from Global Citizen’s March 1, 2022 update.