If you’re looking for ways to help the people of Ukraine amid a growing humanitarian crisis, there are a few local efforts on Route 1 already underway that you can support as well as efforts outside the area which are directly supporting people in Ukraine.
Bianca + Jean
Bianca + Jean in Hyattsville pledged to donate 20 percent of the sales generated from its new “Stand With Ukraine” masks to Care, an Atlanta-based humanitarian organization that is sending water, food and hygiene kits to Ukrainians as they respond to the recent Russian invasion.
“Ukrainians are leaving everything they know and love and they don’t know where their journey will end,” owner Mia Montgomery told the Hyattsville Wire. “This new mask was created to display my solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”
The masks are in blue and yellow after the Ukrainian flag, which was designed to reflect a blue sky over a field of sunflowers.
Made with three layers of cotton, including a pocket for a removable filter, the masks are on sale for $25 to $30 on the Bianca + Jean website with 20 percent of all proceeds going to Care. Once your order is placed it takes about three to fives days to receive the masks.
Vigilante Coffee
Vigilante Coffee is also helping to support people of Ukraine and is donating 10 percent of its sales from all three of its cafes — Hyattsville, College Park and Oceanside, Calif. — through Friday, March 4, with proceeds going to the British Red Cross., and from Tuesday, March 8 through Friday, March 18, with proceeds going to Ukrainian Women’s Fund.
Lutheran Social Services
Lutheran Social Services, which has locations in Hyattsville and Greenbelt and helped resettle thousands of Afghan refugees in 2021, among assisting in other refugee resettlement efforts, is preparing to assist refugees from Ukraine in the near future, with estimates saying as many as several million people could be displaced due to the Russia invasion. You can support them here.
Other Ways to Help
If you’re looking for other ways to help, the Washington Post released a list of eight organizations you can support to help people in Ukraine, which included donating to Care, supporting beloved D.C. Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen efforts and helping groups such as Voices of Children, Razom for Ukraine, Save the Children, and Sunflower of Peace. Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s English-language media outlet covering the war, also has a GoFundMe page which you can support here.
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