Hopes and Homes for Children
Salisbury-based charity Hopes and Homes for Children has staff working across Lviv, Kyiv and Dnipro, and efforts are currently focused on providing essentials, medicine and supporting child protection services. In the UK, journalist Annabel Davidson has organised Jewels for Ukraine, a series of charity prize draws where a £10 donation counts as one entry – the current prize is an 18ct gold ring by Brazilian designer Carla Amorim. A similar effort comes from White Cube, where all proceeds from limited edition-prints by Antony Gormley (£3,000) and Tracey Emin (£10,000) will be donated to Hopes and Homes for Children and fellow humanitarian charity Care International. justgiving.com/fundraising/carla-amorim; ukraineappeal.whitecube.com
The Red Cross
On top of providing resources and medicine, the chief aim of the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal is to mobilise volunteers – 5,000 of whom are delivering food parcels, providing first aid training and helping emergency workers around the country. Supporting fundraisers include Ostara, an exhibition and print sale from London gallery Purslane that will donate 25 per cent of sales, and photographer Michael Kenna, who is selling six images from a recent show at Peter Fetterman Gallery in exchange for $2,200 donations. purslane.co.uk; peterfetterman.com
Disasters Emergency Committee
Made up of 15 UK aid charities – including Save the Children, Age International and Action Against Hunger – the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) pools together vital resources to co-ordinate an effective response to overseas countries in crisis. For its Ukraine Appeal, the Committee is asking for donations of £30 (enough to provide three people with a month’s worth of essential hygiene supplies), £50 (blankets for four families) and £100 (emergency food for two families for one month). Further support comes from antiques dealer Josephine Ryan, who has curated a charity auction of some of the world’s most beautiful and exclusive homes, as well as the #TravelforUkraine auction from The Healthy Holiday Company and Travel Tonic. The latter sale comprises a selection of stays across Lapland, Thailand, India and more, with all funds raised going to the DEC. 32auctions.com/uha; uk.givergy.com/travelforukraine
Voices Of Children
More than 200 children have died in Ukraine since Putin’s invasion – and almost 400 more have been injured. With an increasing number of kindergartens, maternity hospitals and shelters becoming targets, Voices Of Children is providing non-stop assistance to Ukrainian children, offering emergency psychological support and assisting families who need to evacuate.
Direct Relief
Fighting for “healthy people” and a “better world”, this California-based charity works to improve lives around the world indiscriminately. Collaborating with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, Direct Relief has deployed almost 60mn doses of medicine, and is preparing to offer a longer-term assistance plan to those displaced. To contribute, conservation nonprofit Vital Impacts has partnered with more than 100 National Geographic photographers to launch a flash print sale (from $275 for a 11×16 inch print), all profits from which will benefit Direct Relief’s work in Ukraine. vitalimpacts.org
National Bank of Ukraine
Within a few days of Putin’s invasion, Ukraine’s National Bank had opened a fundraiser for people affected by the ongoing attacks around the country. “Russian aggression deprived thousands of Ukrainians of their home, money, clothes, food and other basic things,” says Kyrylo Shevchenko, the Bank’s governor. “This account will be used to help those hardest hit by the war.”
Habitat for Humanity
When temperatures fell below freezing in Romania – one of the five main countries taking in Ukrainian refugees – many charities sourced air heaters for those living in tents on the border. Chief among them was Habitat for Humanity, a UK-based housing charity that has also been working to help displaced families access affordable rental housing, repurposing empty spaces for shelter and – in partnership with Ibis – offering free stays in hotels.
Artists at Risk
“Assisting artists whose freedom and lives are at risk” is the motive behind this non-profit. Since its launch in 2013, Artists at Risk has launched 26 residences for artists facing persecution or imprisonment. To help Ukraine, the organisation has collected prints (each at €200) from more than 70 artists – including Tacita Dean, Nan Goldin, Jeremy Deller – for an emergency fundraiser. All proceeds from the sale will assist Ukrainian cultural workers in accessing emergency travel, shelter and financial support. solidarityprints.org
Action Against Hunger
It’s now predicted that 18mn people are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the crisis in Ukraine. As a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, international charity Action Against Hunger is fighting to provide emergency relief, identifying the most urgent needs as food security, healthcare and mental health services, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene. Just £20 is enough to provide 20 emergency hot meals for Ukrainian refugees.
Sunflower of Peace
Boston-based Sunflower for Peace has been supporting Ukrainian paramedics and doctors by distributing first-aid backpacks, medicine and medical instruments. There is also an option to purchase supplies on the charity’s Amazon List, which will be shipped to the Sunflower of Peace warehouse and delivered to Ukraine.
Razom
Meaning “together” in Ukrainian, Razom was founded off the back of the Revolution of Dignity, a series of protests in 2014 that culminated in the removal of former President Viktor Yanukovych. “Our work from the get-go has been to build a prosperous Ukraine,” says Dora Chomiak, who runs the charity with an almost all-female team of fellow Ukrainians, “and that’s what we’re continuing to do.” Working in tandem with volunteers in Ukraine and US, Razom has established a supply line of tactical first aid to those who need it, and a further stream of financial donations to “turn into medicine”. They’re also working with partner charities to provide support for those who have now fled the country. With the goalposts constantly shifting, Razom has set up a Linktree with different ways to do so – be it donations, volunteer work or protests – that’s updated daily.
Unicef
Unicef is fundraising to protect more than 7.5mn children at risk across the country. Among those calling for donations is Ukrainian chef and food writer Olia Hercules, who, alongside industry figures such as Alissa Timoshkina and Clerkenwell Boy, is urging the hospitality industry to raise funds through supper clubs, bake sales and special menu items. Around 150 restaurants have got involved to date – notable names include Soho House, St John and Ottolenghi – and have raised more than £500,000. Follow their progress with the hashtag #CookForUkraine. Meanwhile, until 2 June, Incubator Photo Gallery will sell prints (each at $150) from 28 photographers around the world, with 85 per cent of sales going directly to UNICEF. justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine; incubatorgallery.com
Fight for Right
Among the people most vulnerable to attack in disaster zones are the disabled, particularly those with low mobility, for whom evacuation might not be an option. Fight for Right is tackling this with an emergency hotline, offering disabled Ukrainians advice, psychological support and, where possible, help with gathering supplies and the safe evacuation of those who need it.
World Central Kitchen
More than 60mn meals have been served up by World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity that feeds people affected by humanitarian, climate and community crises. Within hours of Russia’s invasion, the WCK had set up a food station at a pedestrian border crossing in Poland, offering nourishing hot meals to those fleeing the attack. Since then, kitchens have been established at border crossings in Romania, Moldova and Hungary, and the charity is helping local restaurants to prepare hot meals across the country.