“Common Man for Ukraine” raised more than $2.5 million, which translated to 750 tons of food, clothing, sleeping bags, generators, trauma centers, and more to help Ukrainian children.
A New Hampshire non-profit is making its fourth trip to Ukraine in less than year.
"Common Man for Ukraine" co-founders boarded a plane in Boston late Monday afternoon, and they’ll first make a stop in Warsaw, Poland.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this group has helped nearly 700 orphans.
“It's scary, but it's more scary to think about not doing something you know needs to be done,” said one of the four co-founders, Susan Mathison.
Fear aside, Mathison and her partners have made it their mission to help Ukrainians in both Ukraine and Poland.
The more than $2.5 million raised has translated to 750 tons of food, clothing, sleeping bags, generators, trauma centers, anything needed to survive every day.
“We will go to seven orphanages this week. We will bring personal solar lanterns for every kid so that they have some control over the darkness,” Mathison said. “We raise the money here in the United States. We ship it to Poland. The money is spent in Poland. Primarily, some in Ukraine and elsewhere in the UE."
The group rents two warehouses in Poland and has put together a rotary group there with people ready to deliver the goods as needed.
“The war changes and we have to change with it,” said Mathison. For example, “Orphanages that had 130 kids last week now have 180 kids."
“I raised two kids and I could not have done it without the help of my family and friends and I feel that pull to the moms in Ukraine," she added.
The group hopes to raise $10 million this year to continue helping and adapting to specific needs. If you’d like to support their mission, you can visit CommonManForUkraine.org or by text 'COMMONMAN' to 53-555.
