GREENSBORO, N.C. — Living Water Church, a small Ukrainian church in Greensboro, is in the process of collecting and packing supplies to be shipped off to Ukraine.
Organizers said they plan to send their first shipment to Chicago next week and then the supplies will go to Poland and finally Ukraine. Supplies will also be sent from Angier, N.C. with the help of Crossing All Borders Ministry. There will also be supplies from Michigan and South Carolina.
"It has been going really good," said Irena Reed, who is helping to collect donations. "Everybody is just so helpful and (the) community in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, Asheboro everybody (is) calling us, everybody (us) trying to help us, a lot of companies have been helping us."
Cone Health donated medical supplies to the cause, My Patriot Supply in Utah has helped and True Value Rental Triad in Greensboro assisted the church with storage containers as well.
Reed said someone also offered space for five tons of medical supplies on an airplane to get to Ukraine.
"It was such a miracle," said Reed. "We never actually could (have) thought or (dreamed) about the airplane, about free trucks, about so (many) donation(s), about these nice people who actually call every day that was just a miracle honestly and I appreciate each and everyone for everything that they have done for everything that they still (going to) do. (It's) just wonderful."
Andriy Ivanets, the minister of Living Water Church, located inside Trinity Church on West Friendly Avenue in Greensboro, said they've been getting about 200 calls a day with people wanting to help.
"As of right now, we really need monetary help. Donate money to pay off (the shipping) containers," said Ivanets. "If any company would like to donate perishable food, clothes, mats for the soldiers, anything is good because it’s over 1 million people now (are) refugee(s)."
Donations of clothing and hygiene items are also still being accepted at the church.
"We have to act," said Ivanets. "We cannot just sit and watch. We have to act"
Both Reed and Ivanets are originally from Ukraine. They said this effort will continue even after the war ends.
"I think right now it’s (going to) be on a continuing basis because we don’t know when the war stops," Reed said. "Even if it stops today, which I hope, or tomorrow people will still need some food. They will still need some medical supplies, some clothes because basically, they don’t have (any) place to live they don’t have (any) clothes."