Thanks to citizens in Concord and adjoining communities contributing over $16,000 to Concord for Ukraine’s quilt raffle, the Ivano-Frankivsk City Children’s Hospital in western Ukraine will get 60 beds.
More than 250 people contributed to the raffle. Ukraine Forward, the Ukrainian group in Jamaica Plain that organizes the collection and transport of contributions to Ukrainians on the ground, reports that 40 of the 60 beds have been delivered. These beds increase the quality of care that Ukrainian doctors and nurses can provide to mothers and children in need.
Ukraine Forward, working out of the Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain, is the nerve center for the collection and distribution of essential supplies to Ukraine.
A group of Concord for Ukraine members (Kate Kavanaugh, Ihor Kowal, Ned Perry and Ellen Quackenbush) met with the Ukraine Forward team (Myron Kravchuk, Yuliya Pokhylko, Lodi Petriv, and Maria Saxe) in January to hear a report of their accomplishments in 2022.
Their accomplishments were impressive:
- Raising $650,000 in 2022. Concord for Ukraine represented $65,000 (10%) of that total.
- Shipping essential humanitarian and medical supplies to civilians and soldiers.
- Engaging over 1200 people in the greater Boston area in concerts, art classes, lectures and other fundraising activities.
Ukraine Forward faced immense shipping challenges in 2022. They were tasked with getting more than 40,000 pounds of humanitarian and medical supplies to over 15 hospitals across Ukraine. With the help of a dedicated student organization on the ground in Ukraine, supplies arrived successfully to their intended locations.
The Concord for Ukraine team expressed their admiration for the dedication of the Ukrainian Forward team — in Jamaica Plain and in Ukraine.
Stay tuned for the Concord Bookstore’s Ukrainian display in March. Many opportunities to purchase books to enhance your understanding of Ukrainian history and culture. And also to view amazing Ukrainian art in the window of the bookstore.
Concord for Ukraine invites interested individuals to contact either Ellen Quackenbush (equackenbush206@gmail.com) or Ihor Kowal (ihorkowal@gmail.com ) on ways to become involved.
