Newsletter #19: A moment of gratitude along with our regularly scheduled updates

Published: June 14, 2022   

Last week we got to channel some of our massive gratitude.  For the first time ever, the Ukrainian community was invited to participate in the 37th Annual Immigrants Parade in NYC this past Saturday.  In the spirit of unity, Ukrainians showed up to hold signs thanking our fellow immigrants for the solidarity of their countries with Ukraine.  This unity must remain at the center of our actions, and your support means more than you know!  Thank you for continuing to show up for, and support, Ukraine. 

Dear Razom community,

Sometimes it feels like we don’t say “thank you!” enough simply because we can’t get to sending a receipt of your donation fast enough.  But please know that we see you and we are immensely grateful for your support, allowing us to continue to focus on making maximum impact in saving lives in Ukraine.  Here’s the work we’ve been up to since last week: 

  • Razom and SMART Medical Aid made their second stop on the “Let’s start our hearts together” campaign this time in Dnipro.  We conducted another free CPR training in downtown,and installed three more automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) across the most crowded areas of the city.   
  • Our volunteer activity at the NJ warehouse was at its peak last week after we had to take a short break in sorting and packing due to a shortage of tourniquets on the market.  Maintaining high quality of the supplies we procure and/or deliver to Ukraine is one of our top priorities as it can be the difference between losing and saving a life.  If you know some Ukrainian, you can hear a first hand account here of a tourniquet in an IFAK packed by our amazing volunteers saving a life.

Some updates from our Hospitals Team who coordinates and manages the shipment of our in-kind donations, which continue to come in steadily from our amazing community of individual donors and partnering organizations:

  • The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) has donated 8 pallets of medications to our partners Zdorovi and Patients of Ukraine, the shipment is already on its way.
  • Our warehouse team in Ukraine received yet another generous donation from Americares that included medications for rare diseases and other urgent medical supplies that we’ve delivered to hospitals in eastern Ukraine. 
  • In partnership with SMART Medical Aid, we procured, delivered and distributed medical equipment like a C-Arm X-Ray Machine and Anesthesia Machine for hospitals in Ukraine.
  • Remember that sea container we shipped in early-April of FIGS Scrubs and durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs and walkers) from University of Massachusetts Medical Center and the Elmhurst/Coney Island Hospital?  Well it arrived in Ukraine this week!  Our partners Zdorovi are coordinating the distribution of these supplies to hospitals need across Ukraine.
  • Last week our volunteers sorted for shipment 2 pallets-worth of medical supplies donated by various private individuals to Ukraine.  Some of the supplies included 3 boxes of ophthalmology medications and supplies that we’ll be delivering to EyeCare for Ukraine.  
  • Make sure you don’t miss reading the heartfelt letter of gratitude we received from a Lviv Clinical Hospital of Emergency and Intensive Care after our donation last week.  It underlines how important it is to support Ukrainian healthcare system and infrastructure right now.

The Razom Grant team continues to vet grassroots initiatives in Ukraine that are responding quickly to the needs of civilians and IDPs in Ukraine, and awarding grants to further and accelerate their work.  Below is a spotlight of one of those groups:  

The “First Ukrainian Association of Chefs” was awarded $30,000 towards uniting Kharkiv kitchens and volunteers to deliver ready-made meals to people in shelters, Kharkiv subway stations, remote areas, and small villages in the Kharkiv region.  Well-known chef and the founder of the First Ukrainian Association of Chefs, Oleksiy Latkin, was forced to move with his family from Kharkiv to Chernivtsi.  His thoughts remained with those who were less fortunate and couldn’t leave, so Oleksiy started to procure and deliver groceries for Kharkiv residents and distribute them with the help of his friends and fellow chefs.

Razom’s grant enabled the team to deliver around 9800 hot dinners and 4285 food packages to the most vulnerable populations of Kharkiv.  Everyday volunteers worked around the clock to deliver 500 to 900 hot meals to subway stations, shelters, and Kharkiv districts that suffered from the enemy’s bombardments.  Food packages were provided to people in Rogan, Pivnichna Saltivka, Kholodna Gora, Zhukovsky, and other areas most affected by the war.

Razom continues to support the First Ukrainian Association of Chiefs and has recently provided a second grant that will help Kharkiv residents.

Razom’s Advocacy team will host Twitter spaces every Friday at 1:00 pm EST where you can learn about what’s been done to support Ukraine through this brutal invasion and war, and what everyone can do next.  Catch last week’s recording of Ukrainian Days in D.C. Twitter Space here!   A quick recap:

  • Over a 2-day period, the Razom team split up to meet with over 20 Congressional Offices across both parties.
  • In those meetings they asked for the following:
    • That russia be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism
    • Increased sanctions on russian banks
    • Provide longer range artillery to save lives
    • Stop illegal child deportations
    • Increase USAID funding to Ukrainian organizations 

If you or Ukrainians you know require help inside the tristate area after recently traveling to the U.S. from Ukraine, please share info about Razom’s next immigration clinic, sponsored by the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG):

Наступна імміграційна клініка (консультація) із питань ТПС (temporary protected status):  https://forms.gle/i8KbhdEaouicp3gE6
Безкоштовна допомога і наші партнери спонсорують реєстраційні збори.  
Четвер, 16 ЧЕРВНЯ 2022, початок о 09-00 ранку
Подія проходитиме у приміщенні Церкви Корнерстоун.  
Місце: 59 Cooper Square, Lower Level, New York, NY 10003 (біля Astor Place в Українському Селі)

The East Village in New York City is where Razom was born back in 2014 and even though today our community spans the globe, and our work several countries, the Ukrainian Village will always be our home.  So it is a great honor to be a part of the 2022 Annual Meeting and Village Awards hosted by Village Preservation and The Cooper Union TODAY at 6pm at the historic Great Hall. 

Village Preservation is celebrating its work over the past year to protect the architectural and cultural heritage of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo and their event will also honor the diverse people, businesses, and organizations that help to make those neighborhoods so special.  Razom is being honored along with some other neighborhood institutions.  Please join us to pre-register for the event and celebration here.

Below is a roundup of events (info panels, concerts, film screenings, gallery shows, and other fun/informative community gatherings) we most recommend you check out.  Engage with brilliant voices from Ukraine and find exciting ways to support fundraising efforts.    

In Seattle, Washington: On Sunday, June 19 at 6pm the SIFF Egyptian Theater is hosting a screening of Winter on Fire, including Q&A with the Director, Evgeny Afineevsky.  All proceeds will benefit the Ukrainian Association of Washington State. 

In New York:

  • Until June 23rd, Gallery Arte Azulejoin partnership with Mila Rabij Arts Consulting
    to presentYana Bystrova: Approaching a Chaotic Reality.  Currently based in Paris, Bystrova is from Kyiv and is a third generation artist in her family.  Her work has evolved from figurative to abstract and hybrid forms of expression, with a strong conceptual emphasis on color, the ambiguity of perception, and interpretation.  

In Virginia:  On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hosting a Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.  

In Ohio:

In Pennsylvania:  On Sunday, June 26 from 6:30-8pm the Pittsburgh Ukrainian community is hosting a concert at Carnegie Carnegie Music Hall to raise funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine (including Razom’s work).

Online/virtually:  FairTrade Caravans is hosting a fundraising event to benefit Razom for the month of June.  Their unique fair trade products are made or grown with: no child labor, fair pay, safe working conditions, and sustainable practices.

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine.  We’re so glad to be on this journey together.   

Stay razom.

Newsletter #18: Want to know what kind of impact your donations are having?

Published: June 7, 2022   

On Saturday June 4th, we shipped and fulfilled our 1,000th order of supplies for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Territorial Defense units, and local hospitals in eastern Ukraine!  That included coordination with thousands of people across Ukraine, and crossing hundreds of thousands of kilometers to get life-saving supplies in the right hands.  Your donations, your connections, your spreading the word, your support made all of this possible.  We can’t thank you enough, and we humbly continue to ask for your support.

Dear Razom community,

Thank you to all of those who’ve responded to our call to spotlight the 100 stories for 100 days of war (and counting).  We remain committed to sharing the stories of Ukrainians and the people and communities supporting Ukrainians, so keep them coming.  In the meantime, here’s Razom’s story: 

  • As part of the “Let’s start our hears together” campaign launched in Lviv last week, 68 AEDs valued at $81,192 are being installed across Ukraine.  33 defibrillators already made it to medical units and field hospitals on the front.  
  • Razom’s ever-resourceful TacMed team has managed to procure 1,000 iTClamps, an innovative blood stopping tool invented by a Canadian military doctor, that are already on their way and highly anticipated by combat doctors in Ukraine.  Procuring and delivering quality tactical medicine supplies is the difference between life and death in extreme, emergency situations. 
  • Razom helped deliver 65 Starlinks to Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donestk regions so far.  These devices allow our defenders and emergency responders to coordinate and communicate more reliably, and from time to time call their mothers.    
  • In partnership with Smart Medical Aid, Razom helped procure, outfit, and deliver yet another ambulance to the front of the war.  You should know that on the photo below one of the medics pictured is a doctor from New Zealand who was inspired to help how she could after the invasion. 
  • Razom partnered with the Ukraine Prosthetic Assistance Project to develop and disseminate a brochure that answers questions about available prosthetics and rehabilitation in Ukraine, as well as recommendations for victims and specialists.  It’s estimated that hundreds of civilians and military personnel in Ukraine have suffered limb loss since the invasion.  We are proud to provide logistical support in the delivery of cutting-edge tech prosthetic components donated by Ossur in partnership with Prosthetika that will help over a dozen people who’ve lost limbs in Ukraine.  
  • Razom’s Hospitals Team secured a shipment of 8,000 IFAKs for Ukraine by partnering with Direct Relief who donated these supplies, with more to still to come!
  • Thanks to Integra Foundation’s donation of 2 pallets-worth of wound care, neurosurgery, neurotrauma, and neuromonitoring supplies, Razom was able to successfully distribute much needed medical equipment across different hospitals in Ukraine (ranging from military to children’s).
  • The long-awaited 27-pallets of medical supplies donated by our partner MedShare finally made it to Razom in Ukraine!  Thanks to MedShare’s partner Airlink, a rapid-response humanitarian relief organization that connects airlines and pre-qualified nonprofits to help communities in crisis, the entire logistics leg from California to Lviv was free. 

This week, Razom Board Member Maryna Prykhodko was in her hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine and joined one of Razom’s grant recipients, Ukrainian Charity Alliance, on a trip to deliver humanitarian aid to elderly and disabled persons living just 10 km from the border with russia in the community around the town of Zolochiv and the surrounding smaller villages who were under russian occupation for three months.  The community is in great need of assistance, especially the vulnerable populations.

Maryna helped hand-deliver bags of produce and goods along with Oleksii Kurtsev of Ukrainian Charity Alliance and a social worker and deputy of the community’s office.  The group also visited the Zolochiv Hospital, which is under fire every day, and the Skovoroda Museum in nearby Skovorodynivka, which was destroyed by russian rocket fire.  Everyone Maryna met and spoke with was so grateful for Razom’s support and Razom is so grateful for the devoted and committed work of our grant recipients who are making a positive impact on the ground in Ukraine. 

A piece of good news – Razom and the Dity My Vsygnemo (“Children We Will Make It”) social movement for children with SMA (and Razom partner) conducted their first “reverse” evacuation since the start of the war.  We helped a wonderful Ukrainian family, who was evacuated a few months ago, return home from abroad to Zhytomyr.  This means that Ukrainians know that our victory is not far away.

Below is a roundup of events (concerts, film screenings, gallery shows, and other fun community gatherings) we most recommend you check out.  Engage with brilliant voices from Ukraine and find exciting ways to support fundraising efforts.  We extend our gratitude to the communities in nearly every corner of the U.S. organizing to support Ukraine in the ways they’re able.    

In New York:

  • On Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at 7pm at the Ukrainian Museum, Director and Producer Andrea Odezynska debuts her new feature-length environmental documentary, Return Sasyk to the Sea, which spotlights the destructive legacy Ukraine inherited as a former member of the Soviet Union.  6/10 tickets here and 6/11 here (all proceeds go to Razom).
    • Marci Shore, a scholar of intellectual history and a Guggenheim Fellow, will moderate the Q&A after the screening on Friday 6/10.
  • Starting Friday, June 10 at 6pm the online virtual screening of feature documentary “A RISING FURY” about the war in Ukraine is set for a World Premiere with the Tribeca Film Festival.  The team has been filming over the past 8 years from the peaceful protest in Kyiv in 2013 to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
  • On Sunday, June 12 at 2pm The Timbres are hosting a concert fundraiser for Ukraine at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC.
  • Until June 23rd, Gallery Arte Azulejoin partnership with Mila Rabij Arts Consulting
    to presentYana Bystrova: Approaching a Chaotic Reality.  Currently based in Paris, Bystrova is from Kyiv and is a third generation artist in her family.  Her work has evolved from figurative to abstract and hybrid forms of expression, with a strong conceptual emphasis on color, the ambiguity of perception, and interpretation.  

In New Jersey: On Friday, June 10 at 7pm come experience Ukrainian art with Razom featuring music and art for sale.   

In Wisconsin: On Sunday, June 12 at 3pm the Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine will host a concert with music, dance, and stories to benefit Ukraine.  

In Virginia:  On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hostinga Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.  

In Ohio:

In Pennsylvania:  On Sunday, June 26 from 6:30-8pm the Pittsburgh Ukrainian community is hosting a concert at Carnegie Carnegie Music Hall to raise funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine (including Razom’s work).

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine.  We’re so glad to be on this journey together.   

Stay razom.

Newsletter #17: We are approaching 100 days of war

Published: June 1, 2022   

We are back!  This week will be 100 days since the invasion, that has felt like it’s been 100 years.  So let’s gear up for the next 100 days together.  Moving forward, our weekly newsletter will land in your inbox every Tuesday morning updating you on Razom’s work and impact and sharing ways you can support Ukraine.  Now is the time to double down on those efforts. 

Dear Razom community,

As we take stock of the last 100 days of war in Ukraine to prepare for the next 100, we are immensely grateful for your support on this journey.  It’s not about one person doing everything, it’s about everyone doing something.  So over the next couple of weeks, we want to share stories of those people, of you, because they remind us of our power to make change possible and keeps us working hard towards Ukraine’s victory.  If you’d like a chance to be featured, please respond back to this email sharing your contact information and 200 words on something you did to support Ukraine.  

In the meantime, here’s what Razom has been up to:

  • The Hospitals Team continues to accept and coordinate in-kind donations from generous individuals and organizations across the U.S.  One example (of many) is Iya Labunka, a Ukrainian-American who lives on the rural island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.  She went to the CEO of her tiny local hospital (Martha’s Vineyard Hospital), to ask if they could donate any medical supplies for the war effort in Ukraine, and boy did they deliver.  They were able to use their buying power to supply us with 1,200 pounds of trauma related medical supplies off of our needs list such as tourniquets, bandages, stop-bleed kits, needles, and IV starters.  
  • The TacMed Team procured 10 high-end portable ultrasound machines by Sonoscanner which have already been distributed to 10 different hospitals across western and eastern Ukraine.  Below is a video of how it’s being used at a hospital in Kyiv!  
  • We’ve shipped over 43,000 IFAKs to Ukraine and below you’ll find a few of them in the hands of our end users like police units, territorial defense units, emergency responders, and many more.
  • In partnership with Smart Medical Aid, Razom hosted an open master class on first aid titled “Let’s start our hearts together” in front of the Opera House in Lviv.  Hundreds of Lviv residents and guests took part in the class, including the Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration Maksym Kozytskyi and leader of the rock band Okean Elzy, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk.  As part of this initiative, 50 defibrillators will be installed in different cities across Ukraine (including main railway stations) to help save more lives.  

Razom also awards grants to smaller organizations in Ukraine that work with internally displaced persons or those Ukrainians needing help in recently liberated areas or hot spots of the war.  Razom’s Grants team sources and vets these organizations and volunteer groups in order to help provide hard-to-reach populations with food, water, hygiene products, and basic necessities.  Here’s a spotlight on a few of the 38 we’ve issued grants for thus far:

  • Charitable fund Zarady Tebe (“For You”) was awarded $25,000 to fund their projects aimed at improvement of the living conditions of the most vulnerable segments of the population (lonely elderly, people with special needs, and children at risk), with attention paid to the inter-confessional and inter-ethnic dialogue.  Their grant was focused on delivering food packages to the elderly in Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts.
  • Charitable fund Z Poklykom V Sertsi (“Call of the Heart”) was awarded $30,000 to deliver humanitarian aid to small towns close to the frontline of the war or newly liberated small towns.  Oftentimes they are the first aid assistance that these people receive.  

Meanwhile the Razom Advocacy team has been hard at work stateside and accomplished the following in the past three months: 

  • Over three dozen meetings with senators, members of Congress, Congressional offices, policy advisors and experts, and established think tanks.
  • Over half a million dollars-worth collected in donated digital and print ad space to urge the public to “support and supply Ukraine” and close work with renowned journalists such as Anne Applebaum to set up interviews in Ukraine and a number of Razom’s own texts published. 
  • Over a dozen ethnic, religious, and human rights organizations represented at our White House press conference where Razom announced the creation of an American Coalition of Ukraine in addition to regular coordination calls held with over a dozen national and regional Ukrainian-American advocacy groups. 
  • A Congressional briefing held and sponsored by the Ukraine Caucus (and three more on the docket). 
  • Dozens of one-pagers, memos, reports, and presentations prepared for Congressional offices and other advocacy partners. 
  • SEC petition sponsored and activist efforts organized to hold leaders and companies accountable for enabling the Russian war machine. 
  • Consistent work with constituencies across the US over the past three months through social media, traditional media, and phone banking to strengthen messaging for continuous support of Ukraine from the grassroots to the grasstops levels.

The team’s next engagement is with you!  Set a reminder for Razom’s upcoming Twitter Space this Friday at 1:00 pm EST.  We’ll talk about what’s been done to support Ukraine through this brutal invasion and full scale war, and what everyone can do next. 

There continue to be a diverse array of options to support Ukraine and we hope you consider attending some of the cultural events and/or fundraisers happening in your area.  It’s so important to see that nearly 100 days into this war, there are many ways to engage our communities to learn about and support Ukraine.  

In New York:

  • Today, June 1 from 6-8pm the Ukrainian Institute of America in NYC will host an opening reception for its Impressions of War illustrations exhibition featuring a silent auction of forty-four posters created in reaction to Russia’s brutal invasion.  
  • On Thursday, June 2 from 6-8pm THE GALLERY is hosting an opening reception for Ola Rondiak: Women’s History, a hundred years of Ukraine curated by Kyoko Sato. The exhibition includes her recent drawings and collage works subjected to Ukraine women, history and tradition.  Part of the art sales will be donated to Razom.
  • On Friday, June 3 at 7pm, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting a MetLifeArt Benefit Concert for Ukraine to raise money for museum workers and arts institutions in Ukraine.  The concert will celebrate Ukraine’s diverse musical cultures with performances by world-renowned artists with Ukrainian roots.  
  • On Friday, June 3 from 6-9pm Gallery Arte Azulejo is hosting an opening reception for Yana Bystrova: Approaching a Chaotic Reality, influenced by her country’s struggle to become a free nation.  Part of the art sales will be donated to Razom.
  • On Sunday, June 5 from 12-5pm the Shota Rustaveli Georgian Cultural Center is hosting a fundraising concert for Ukraine at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village. 
  • Starting Friday, June 10 at 6pm the online virtual screening of feature documentary “A RISING FURY” about the war in Ukraine is set for a World Premiere with the Tribeca Film Festival.  The team has been filming over the past 8 years from the peaceful protest in Kyiv in 2013 to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
  • On Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at the Ukrainian Museum, Director and Producer Andrea Odezynska debuts her new feature-length environmental documentary, Return Sasyk to the Sea, which spotlights the destructive legacy Ukraine inherited as a former member of the Soviet Union.  6/10 tickets here and 6/11 here (all proceeds go to Razom). 
    • Marci Shore, a scholar of intellectual history and a Guggenheim Fellow, will moderate the Q&A after the screening on Friday 6/10.
  • On Sunday, June 12 at 2pm The Timbres are hosting a concert fundraiser for Ukraine at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC. 
  • Stop by Chobani in Soho this month as sales of a new Chobani Café menu item inspired by the Ukrainian flag (Chobani’s Blueberry & Pineapple Creation) will be donated to Razom!

Online / Virtually: 

  • Today, June 1 at 10am EST Soft Serve, an art and design platform that sells work by emerging artists and craftspeople, is launching an Art For Ukraine fundraiser with all proceeds going to Kyiv Pride. 
  • From Saturday, June 4 at 8pm until Sunday June 5 at 8am, the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland will showcase a ‘BACHATHON FOR UKRAINE’ to raise awareness about Ukraine through music.  The focal point will be an exceptional endurance requiring performance taking over 4 hours and 30 minutes, performed by one artist, the acclaimed Austrian pianist Aaron Pilsan.  The marathon concert will also feature several musical surprises, videos and interviews with the artists and partner organizations.

In Connecticut:  On Thursday,June 2 at 5:30pm, Sacred Heart University’s School of Communication, Media & the Arts presents a live performance fundraising event called Slava Ukraini.  

In Wisconsin: On Sunday, June 12 at 3pm the Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine will host a concert with music, dance, and stories to benefit Ukraine.  

In Virginia:  On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hostinga Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.  

In Ohio:

In Pennsylvania:  On Sunday, June 26 from 6:30-8pm the Pittsburgh Ukrainian community is hosting a concert at Carnegie Carnegie Music Hall to raise funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine (including Razom’s work).

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine.  Following the horrific and tragic events that took place last week in Uvalde, Texas, it’s important for us to share that Razom stands in solidarity with our community in the U.S. 

We share the pain of the families and community at Robb Elementary and all those who are affected.  These acts of violence are devastating, heartbreaking and require change.  In times like these, we’ve learned to pull each other closer and only then get to work.

Stay razom (together). 

Newsletter #16: How Your Donations Are Making An Impact And Much More

Published: May 20, 2022   

It’s important to remember that in Ukraine, rockets don’t choose where to fall, so the wounds of civilians and soldiers are the same.  As we enter day 83 of the war that should have never happened, we are eager to share how your generous donations to Razom help save lives in Ukraine.   

Dear Razom community,

To date, there have been over 300 events hosted worldwide benefiting Razom.  At one point, GoFundMe had 91 fundraisers for Razom live on its platform.  Today, we’ve had over 120,000 donors support our work, with the average donation being under $300 and the largest single donation being $1M.  That means that tens of thousands of you took individual action to help Ukraine.  We know we have yet to acknowledge and sincerely thank every one of you, but we promise to get there soon!  In the meantime, Razom continues to focus on converting all of those generous donations into something that saves lives as fast as possible.  The following are some highlights of that work:

Here is a screenshot of a testimonial sent to one of our TacMed Team leaders, Tonya, from a doctor at a Chernivtsi Emergency Hospital where a lot of wounded (including children) are sent ->

To date, Razom has delivered 100 hospital grade wound vac machines across hospitals in Ukraine, and 220 more are on their way from Sweden right now!  We’ve also procured 1,000 manual emergency wound vacs, plus dressings, that will be making their way to Ukraine in the next few weeks. 

Below is a photo of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (ДСНС) utilizing one of the civilian drones Razom procured and delivered to Kharkiv in their process of demining the city.  Kharkiv is one of the most mined places in Ukraine (and the world) right now, slowing down reconstruction efforts and risking the lives of tens of thousands of people.  Using drones to locate mines increases safety in the process and decreases the long hours it takes to do this work.  Razom is working to deliver more of this tech enabled humanitarian aid in the right hands in Ukraine.

Given humanitarian needs change by the hour and come from multiple geographical points at the same time, Razom awards grants to grassroots initiatives in Ukraine who are responding quickly to the needs of civilians and internally displaced persons.  The program has grown significantly in the past weeks:

  • Volonterska UA was awarded $30,000 to deliver food and medicines to the elderly and people with disabilities in Kharkiv.  Their call center receives 1,000 calls daily and has built up a team that can process 300-350 requests per day.  
  • Ukrainian Charity Alliance was awarded $16,000 to create and deliver over 780 kits of food essentials that have a long shelf life for civilians with low mobility in the Kharkiv region.  They also provided humanitarian aid for shelters housing those that lost their homes in the bombing and occupation of regions surrounding Kharkiv.  World-renowned poet, writer, native-Kharkivian, and Razom partner, Serhiy Zhadan visited some of those shelters to help deliver aid. 
  • The Korsaks’ Museum of Ukrainian Modern Art in Lutsk was awarded $16,000 to help operate a shelter for evacuees and refugees in Ukraine.  In April alone, they provided shelter for 12,983 IDPs, including 120 permanent residents (all 30 days) and 1,163 temporary residents (4 days on average).  They converted a section of Adrenalin City (the local Lutsk mall) and adjacent hostel into a shelter filled with beautiful modern art from the museum founder’s personal collection.  The group runs frequent art, craft, yoga, breathing, dancing, and performance art workshops for kids and adults, providing ample opportunity for IDPs to rehabilitate and recover.

The latest tally from our Hospitals Team is that an estimated $7.5M worth of in-kind donations of medicine and medical supplies have been made thanks to organizations like Americares, MedShare, Partners for World Health, Direct Relief, and companies like Figs and Cabinet Health.  Razom has successfully delivered $3.7M worth of those donations to Ukraine. 

  • For example this week, 2,000 IFAKs donated by Direct Relief arrived in Razom’s warehouse in Ukraine and are ready for distribution.
  • The team also sorted through 8 pallets of individual in-kind donations at our New Jersey warehouse and reconfigured 3 pallets of the most urgent supplies to ship to Ukraine asap.

Razom’s Head of Major & Transformational Gifts, Olena Nyzhnykevych, took to the keynote stage at KubeCon in Spain this week to talk about what Razom is, how we’ve grown, what we’re working on as we scale up, and educate the open source and cloud native community about what Ukraine is going through right now.  There were 7,000 people in attendance in person and over 10,000 online.  

After three years, the St. George Ukrainian Festival is back in NYC which means that the famous Razom yellow couch and Face Box are back too!  Come join the Razom Lounge this Saturday and Sunday to learn all about our work in delivering aid and advocacy, pack some IFAKs, participate in an art workshop, and be together.  Before we open up the Lounge though, we’ll be marching on the Brooklyn Bridge.  Join us for the “Live Chain for Ukraine” on Saturday 5/21 at 12pm on theManhattan or Brooklyn side of the bridge and meet in the middle.  Spread the word, we will need a lot of people to make this a powerful event!

If you can’t be in New York City this weekend, there are so many other events around the country (including virtually!) to look forward to: 

In New York:

In Illinois: Today, May 20 at 6:30pm, theCobra Lounge in Chicago will host a benefit show titled “Punks For Ukraine” with all proceeds from ticket sales going to Razom. 

In Connecticut:  On May 21, a local group of runners in Cheshire, CT are hosting a 5K run/walk in their town to fundraise for Razom.  Learn more info on how to join them or contribute to their GoFundMe page go here. 

In Michigan:  On Tuesday, May 24 starting at 6:30pm, the Armory Brewing Company in Grand Haven will be donating a portion of their sales that evening to Razom! 

In California:  On Sat, May 28, the Riviera Village on Redondo Beach will have over 14 businesses donating 20% of their proceeds to Razom.

In Virginia:  On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hostinga Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.  

Virtually:  From now until May 31st, Ukrainian artist Mariya Zeltsman and Metaversero (World’s first XR NFT Marketplace) are selling NFTs to benefit Razom. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continuing to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter #15: You’ll love these updates from 5 different Razom teams

Published: May 13, 2022   

Razom has significantly scaled and refined its operations in the past few weeks and we are so excited to share how the impact of that work and your donations grows.  We’ve also been hard at work advocating for Ukraine in the US and ask for your support below.  Each one of us can do something for Ukraine today, this weekend, and next week, so let’s get to it!

Dear Razom community,

Razom is always here, moving the needle to get us closer to Ukraine’s victory.  The war is still ongoing and there is still a lot of work to be done now that we’re 70 days in.  We need your support and we humbly share with you all that we’re able to accomplish thanks to your generosity .  Let’s keep it up!  

  • Three ambulances recently made it to Donbas to help care for the wounded on the front lines of the war there.  These ambulances made their way from Wales in England to Donbas in partnership with the United Ukraine Foundation in the UK.  Razom also helped outfit them with tourniquets, IFAKs, other important life-saving medicines, and 30 sets of uniforms to the firefighters of Kryvyi Rih. 
  • Here’s the final tally of the work the TacMed Team at Razom accomplished in just one week (5/2/22 – 5/7/22): 
    • Volunteers built and shipped 8,000+ IFAKs, potentially saving 8,000 or more limbs, or even lives.  The approximate value of them is $600,000.
    • Volunteers built and shipped 40 fully loaded tactical medical backpacks
    • These included 20,000 packs of QuikClot Combat Gauze, which are top of the line and extremely hard to procure these days, but of course Razom TacMed team secured them! 
    • It took 108 volunteers to get this much work done in one week.  We when we say urgent, we’re not kidding!  When we say #razom (“together”), we’re serious! 
    • We also shipped out several pallets of medical supplies, and items such as sleeping bags, stretchers, splints, tourniquets, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, and burn treatment kits.
    • We started an initiative to include kids’ drawings, postcards, and letters packed into the IFAKs to encourage Ukrainian heroes.  If you or your children would like to contribute in this way, please send to:

  ENCOURAGE Ukraine
  57 Beach Street, Suite 306
  Staten Island, NY 10304

  • Meanwhile the Razom volunteers working at the warehouse across the ocean in Ukraine managed to distribute for shipment 40 orders of aid in only one day.  To date, Razom has processed over 600 aid requests from hospitals, field hospitals, and territorial defense units across Ukraine.  
  • So far this month, the MedGlobal team in collaboration with Razom and UMANA have trained over 150 doctors across 6 hospitals in Ukraine totaling 40 hours of trainings.  All of the hospitals visited are receiving wounded civilians and military patients, some as many as 40 such patients per day.  Training topics covered polytrauma, triage, FAST exam, blast injury, among others.
    • One of those butterfly ultrasounds that the MedGlobal team donated saved a life this month.  It uncovered pneumothorax in a patient, something that’s not visible on an x-ray. 

What’s one way you can advocate for Ukraine today?

Join us in support of a proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for more disclosure about russian operations by US public companies. Razom signed the petition along with the Ukrainian-American Bar Association, Natalie Jaresko (former Finance Minister of Ukraine), and assistance from Andrii (Andrey) Galiuk from StopBusinessWithRussia initiative. 

It’s simple – russian taxes are funding the war in Ukraine, and we need more transparency. The world is watching, Ukrainians are watching.

You can find ways to help us further this work and become a part of the movement here:  https://www.razomforukraine.org/boycott-business-with-russia/

The Razom Advocacy Team is monitoring closely the advancement of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act in the amount of $39 billion.

This is where we need your help!

The Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act will be up for a vote in the Senate soon and we want to make sure Senators know how their constituents – YOU – feel about passing the bill.  Click here to find out why this bill is important and needs your support, and click here to find out how to call your Senators and what to say to them.  Let’s help Ukraine win the war, together.

People around the world continue to be inspired by the perseverance and creativity of brave Ukraine and are coming together to do what they can to help.  Below is a roundup of events that fundraise for specific causes for Ukraine or expose you to amazing Ukrainian art and culture.     

In New York:

Online:  On May 17 DevOpsDays Ukraine (part of the global DevOpsDays family) is hosting a virtual conference benefiting Razom to to discuss DevOps during crisis, incident, and business continuity management and share Ukrainian DevOps expertise.

In Texas:This weekend Art of Peace, a group of Houstonians collaborating to help Ukrainian people, is hosting an art exhibition featuring 30 local artists with part of the proceeds benefiting Razom.   

In Washington D.C.:  On May 17 the US-Ukraine Foundation is hosting a fundraising event featuring Eurovision star, Roxolana, titled “Taking Back Z.”

In Pennsylvania:  On Tuesday, May 17 from 7:30-9:30pm at the Kresge Theater, the Carnegie Mellon School of Music presents a special concert to benefit the Ukrainian people featuring 17 members of the faculty, musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and students of the School of Music. 

In Connecticut:  On May 21, a local group of runners in Cheshire, CT are hosting a 5K run/walk in their town to fundraise for Razom.  Learn more info on how to join them or contribute to their GoFundMe page go here. 

In California:  On Sat, May 28, the Riviera Village on Redondo Beach will have over 14 businesses donating 20% of their proceeds to Razom.

In Virginia:  On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hostinga Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.  

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continuing to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter #14: We are 120,000 donors and volunteers strong and we still need your help

Published: May 6, 2022   

We hit 120,000 donors this week and it’s absolutely amazing.  The diversity of Razom’s network reflects the diversity of all the work we’re able to accomplish with your generous contributions.  We are all moving towards the same goal — Ukraine’s victory, and we’re doing it Razom.  Let’s keep it up.

Dear Razom community,

Ukraine is winning, big aid is moving, Razom’s impact is growing, but the war is still ongoing.  There is an incredible amount of work to be done.  Our volunteers, colleagues, and partners in Ukraine share this daily.  We are forever grateful for the support of our individual donors, and today, ask you to consider making another donation to Razom, no matter how big or small.  We need your support to keep going. 

Your contributions have real impact on the lives of Ukrainians.  Here’s a snapshot of some of the things we were able to accomplish this week: 

  • Razom’s Hospitals Team shipped an entire pallet worth of antibiotics thanks to a $10,000 grant from Morristown Medical Center received by fellow Razom volunteer and pharmacist Oksana Lytvyn.  
  • The team also obtained one pallet worth of sutures donated by Surgeon Ilkana M Gaffar on behalf of Kings County Hospital.  
  • To date, Razom has invested $925,362 into its logistical chain.
  • MedGlobal is in Lviv again for their second medical mission in partnership with Razom and UMANA.  They brought with them 150 suitcases of medical supplies and several more Butterfly Ultrasounds to donate to hospitals across Ukraine.  They continue to provide important training on trauma care and chemical warfare.   
  • Sometimes local NGOs and informal volunteer initiatives are best positioned to provide timely response to humanitarian needs that change by the hour and come from multiple geographical points at the same time, like they do in Ukraine.  That’s why Razom developed a grant program that awards grassroots initiatives in Ukraine to help civilians in hot zones.  Here’s some of what they’ve been able to accomplish:
    • Groups like Rescue Now and Жовта допомога Харкiв (2 of our 16 grant recipients) provide basic humanitarian aid (food, hygiene products, medicines etc.) to people in Kharkiv oblast, especially in recently liberated cities, towns, and villages in the region.  
    • Chernihiv in northern Ukraine suffered terribly at the beginning of the invasion and charity organization, З покликом у серці, is delivering aid to the region that was occupied for weeks without access to the supplies people desperately needed.
    • TAPS Dnipro provided 7,148 aid packages to internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Dnipro Volunteer IDP Center which receives on average 1,300 IDPs daily.  They used their $20,000 Razom Grant to deliver nine 20-ton trucks with humanitarian aid from Germany, Romania, Baltic States, Lviv and Vinnytsa.  With this investment we were able to support the center’s operations for an entire week. 

Razom held two press conferences on the same day this week, one in Lviv, Ukraine and another in Washington D.C.

In Ukraine, it was important that we amplify our reach so that we continue building out the network of people who need help and organizations that need partnership support.  You can watch the press conference here (it’s in Ukrainian) moderated by former Ambassador to Ukraine from Canada Andrij Shevchenko and featuring Razom Board Member Lyuba Shipovich, Razom dlia Ukraini Director Evelina Kurilets, and “Children We Will Make It” co-founder (and current head of Razom volunteer drivers) Vitalii Svichynskyi. 

The D.C. press conference brought together community leaders from Ukrainian organizations and partners from ethnic, religious, and human rights groups to voice their support for Ukraine.  Razom, United Help Ukraine, U.S. Ukrainian activists, and leaders of Polish, Baltic, Syrian, Afghan, Jewish, Muslim and human rights groups spoke all together in front of the White House.  You can watch it here. 

Razom also announced its intent to launch the American Coalition for Ukraine and deliver a Joint Statement on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for Ukraine.  You can find the full statement here.  

This is group advocacy work that everyone can take part in.  The $33B emergency supplemental aid package for Ukraine is currently awaiting congressional approval.  Call up your representatives so they know you support this package to get Ukraine closer to victory now.

People around the world continue to be inspired by the perseverance and creativity of brave Ukraine and are coming together to do what they can to help.  Below is a roundup of events that fundraise for specific causes for Ukraine or expose you to amazing Ukrainian art and culture.     

In New York:

Online:

  • Today, Friday May 6 is the last day to catch the International Muses Marathon to raise funds for Voices of Children featuring performances and appeal videos based on a personal Facebook Messenger conversation between the MAE director and Ukraine native Mikhail Zorich and his close friend, Irina, in Kyiv.  Type “100 Hours” in the comments section of the donation page.
  • On Tuesday, May 10 at  5pm PST the Los Angeles Center of Photography is presenting an online conversation with photographer Natalie Keyssar, sharing her experience covering the war in Ukraine.  The event will be moderated by LACP’s executive director, Dr. Rotem Rozental andNatalie will discuss and present her powerful, yet devastating photographs from the conflict.
  • On May 17 DevOpsDays Ukraine (part of the global DevOpsDays family) is hosting a virtual conference benefiting Razom to to discuss DevOps during crisis, incident, and business continuity management and share Ukrainian DevOps expertise.

In Illinois:Today, May 6 at 8pmChicago will host an EDM concert to benefit the current refugee crisis with proceeds going to Razom at Skyline Loft at the Bridgeport Arts Center.  

In Michigan:Today, May 6from 7-10pm the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, MI will be hosting a concert to benefit relief efforts through Razom.  More info here. 

In Texas:  Over the weekend of May 13, Art of Peace, a group of Houstonians collaborating to help Ukrainian people, is hosting an art exhibition featuring 30 local artists with part of the proceeds benefiting Razom.   

In Pennsylvania:  On Tuesday, May 17 from 7:30-9:30pm at the Kresge Theater, the Carnegie Mellon School of Music presents a special concert to benefit the Ukrainian people featuring 17 members of the faculty, musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and students of the School of Music. 

In Connecticut:  On May 21, a local group of runners in Cheshire, CT are hosting a 5K run/walk in their town to fundraise for Razom.  Learn more info on how to join them or contribute to their GoFundMe page go here. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter #13: Our commitment is unwavering – Razom’s latest updates

Published: April 29, 2022   

Razom’s commitment to delivering life-saving aid into the right hands in Ukraine is unwavering.  In this newsletter you’ll find the latest about that work, as well as about the diverse collection of events happening all over the world to get yourself involved in helping Ukraine.

Dear Razom community,

Your donations coupled with the volunteers who work every single day, including weekends and evenings, to drive impact as fast as humanly possible, make a difference.  Remember this, because Ukraine still needs you. 

Below is a snapshot of some of the work we’ve been able to accomplish lately, by no means is this an exhaustive list:

  • Partners for World Health and Razom Hospitals team applied and received a UPS air shipping grant that was used to ship 42 pallets of medical supplies and equipment that will be received by our on the ground partners in Ukraine, Zdorovi.  This shipment included an AED machine, Autoclave, Anesthesia GE Datex Ohmeda Machine, Crash Cart, Portable Ultrasound, and Patient Monitor, amongst other supplies.
  • Razom has an unofficial branch in Canada thanks to a group of incredible volunteers.  To date, 76 pallets of medical supplies have been shipped from therethat include tourniquets, hermostatic bandages, splints, portable ultrasound machines, and so much more.  Big thanks go out to Meditek Canada, Hamilton Health Sciences and a number of private clinics, who made large in-kind donations to Razom.
  • MD Luke Tomycz, Neurosurgeon and co-founder of Razom’s The CoPilot Project spearheaded an effort with the Razom Hospitals team to send 2 pallets of critical neurosurgical supplies to Ukraine.  We partnered with international NGO CMMB to procure neuro supplies from Integra.  We also helped procure epilepsy medication that has been distributed to displaced children from Donestk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions currently in Dnipro.  
  • Cabinet Health, a company that provides plastic-free packaging for everyday over-the-counter medicines, has generously donated 8 pallets of necessary OTC medications to the Razom Hospitals team.  We are grateful for our partnership with Kyiv Alliance and Help Heroes of Ukraine who transported these pallets from Tennessee to New York. 
  • Razom Hospitals team is also helping to address sexual violence and abuse in Ukraine.  In cooperation with Leda Health, we are sending 500 forensic rape kits to support justice for the victims of sexual violence in Ukraine. 
  • To date, Razom has delivered over 4,000 walkie-talkies, 700 civilian drones, 250 satellite phones, and 200 tablets to territorial defense units, rescuers, paramedics, and volunteers in Ukraine to help deliver humanitarian aid safely and effectively and provide rescue support.  
Volunteers at our warehouse in Ukraine
Razom volunteers in Canada

Razom has partnered up with Nova Ukraine and United Help Ukraine to collectively raise $20,000 to purchase 300 Starlink kits and distribute them across Ukraine.

101 cities currently don’t have internet because russian missiles and army have destroyed or severely damaged infrastructure.  Ukrainians need stable connectivity to keep a lifeline to their loved ones and manage their daily lives – work remotely, pay bills, receive medical care, etc.

Please do your part in connectivity enablement in Ukraine by contributing to this specific project here.

People around the world continue to be inspired by the perseverance and creativity of brave Ukraine and are coming together to do what they can to help.  Below is a roundup of events that fundraise for specific causes for Ukraine or expose you to amazing Ukrainian art and culture.     

In New York:

  • Tonight and tomorrow (4/29 and 4/30) from 7-9pm, Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn will run a tribute to Ukrainian music and culture, providing a platform for over 20 artists to react to today’s events from multiple perspectives and provide a fresh look at Ukraine’s musical roots and identity.
  • Tonight, 4/29 at 7pm and 9:30pm join us at the documentary film screening of The Will To See, and engage in conversation with filmmaker Bernard-Henri Levy at Quad Cinema benefiting Razom.  
  • On Saturday, 4/30 at 5pm at the Tribeca Film Center / Tribeca Screening room,the Directors Guild of Ukraine and New York film club Kinovino are organizing the fundraising film screening of Ukrainian documentary Enticing, Sugary, Boundless or Songs and Dances about Death.  A Q&A with the film’s director Tania Khodakivska will follow.
  • On Saturday, 4/30 from 2pm – 9:15pm The Otto’s Benefit for Ukraine at Otto’s Shrunken Head in NYC will have a lineup of singer songwriters and bands with all proceeds from the concert going to Razom. 
  • On Saturday, 4/30 from 3:30-7:30pm the Hudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction.  Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom’s Emergency Response project!
  • On Sunday, May 1 at 11am Chobani SoHo Cafe and Razom are collaborating on a fundraising event.  Stop by and try some special creations off the menu and help Ukraine. 
  • On Tuesday, May 3 at 7pm the Church Street School for Music and Art in NYC will host a Concert For Ukraine featuring violinist Nadia Khodakovska and members of CSSMA faculty.  All proceeds will go to Razom.  To reserve tickets email tobywine@churchstreetschool.org.
  • On Saturday, May 7 Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie, NY is hosting the 8th Annual Peace and Harmony Invitational with all proceeds benefiting Ukraine.
  • On Friday, May 20 and Sunday, May 22 at the Ukrainian Museum, Director and Producer Andrea Odezynska debuts her new feature-length environmental documentary, Return Sasyk to the Sea, which spotlights the destructive legacy Ukraine inherited as a former member of the Soviet Union. 

Online:

  • On Saturday, April 30 at 10-11:30am Pacific time Barnsdall Arts is hosting a Ukrainian Art Workshop via Zoom to learn about Petrykivka painting.  All proceeds go to Razom.
  • On Saturday, April 30 at 1pm EDT, Weave A Real Peace (WARP) will host Ukrainian textile artists Halyna Shepko (New York), Daryna Alieksieienko (Kyiv), Andriy Pyshkar (Ternopil), and Yaroslava Tkachuk (Lviv) for a discussion about their work within the Ukrainian weaving traditions.  Continuing Textile Traditions: Ukraine is a special program (online) to raise relief funds for Razom. 
  • On May 17 DevOpsDays Ukraine (part of the global DevOpsDays family) is hosting a virtual conference benefiting Razom to to discuss DevOps during crisis, incident, and business continuity management and share Ukrainian DevOps expertise.

In New Jersey:  On Sunday, May 1 at 2pm EDT the Ukrainian American Business and Professionals Association and artist Dianna Derhak will host Sunflowers for Ukraine – Paint Sunday Fundraiser with all proceeds going to support the Ukrainian Documentary Film Project about the current war.

In Wisconsin:On Sunday, April 30 from 10am-3pm, DeBerge’s Framing and Gallery in Kenosha, WI will host an open house selling ribbon embroidery art by Slava Buchkovich and t-shirts designed by Annya Knautz, with some of the proceeds benefiting Razom. 

In North Carolina:  On Sunday, May 1, 7-9pm EDT the Arts Center of Carrboro, NC will host an Evening of Bold Stories to support Ukrainian refugees.  

In Michigan: On Friday, May 6from 7-10pm the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, MI will be hosting a concert to benefit relief efforts through Razom.  More info here.

In Texas:  Over the weekend of May 13th, Art of Peace, a group of Houstonians collaborating to help Ukrainian people, is hosting an art exhibition featuring 30 local artists with part of the proceeds benefiting Razom.   

In Connecticut:  On May 21, a local group of runners in Cheshire, CT are hosting a 5K run/walk in their town to fundraise for Razom.  Learn more info on how to join them or contribute to their GoFundMe page go here. 

In Copenhagen:  On May 5, the Academic Council of Eastern European Studies will host an all-day conference at the University of Copenhagen – Østeuropastudiers Ukrainefestival. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter # 12: We can’t relent now – latest updates from Razom

Published: April 22, 2022   

Here’s your regularly scheduled update from Razom during these irregular, difficult, life-changing times.  Take note of our work thanks to your incredible, continued support, and take note of ways you can continue to stand with Ukraine.  Right now it matters more than ever.

Dear Razom community,

We are entering a new phase of the war in Ukraine and your support (donations, advocacy, volunteering, showing up) has never been more important.  As of right now, Razom has spent $19,454,438 of your donations to provide humanitarian war relief and recovery depending on the most urgent needs as they evolve.  Here’s a roundup of the latest work and impact Razomtsi have been up to:

  • Fulfilled a total of 282 aid requests from territorial defense units, hospitals, and field hospitals across Ukraine.  In the past several weeks, 62 of those made it into the hands of end users in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions in eastern Ukraine(an area that’s currently undergoing heavy fighting).
  • Procured and delivered 100 wound vac machines (vacuum assisted closure that removes fluids from the wound and pulls its edges together) to hospitals in Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kyiv, and Chernivtsi.
  • Procured and delivered 23 pickup trucks for paramedics to aid in the evacuation of wounded across hot spots of the war to help save lives of Ukrainian armed forces, joined by brave Ukrainian civilians.
Mykolaiv region
Odesa region
Donetsk region
Pickup trucks making their way to Ukraine
Wound vac delivery in Dnipro
Odesa region

On April 20th Razom held its first Ukrainian Village Comprehensive Immigration Clinic that screened and consulted more than 50+ Displaced Ukrainians (DU) at an all-day event.  It resulted with over 30 DUs qualifying for temporary protected status.  Razom volunteer attorneys partnered with New York Legal Services Group – NYLAG to run the event and continue working on these cases free of charge (worth upwards of $45,000 in legal services).  Thanks to its partnerships with private law firms in the city, NYLAG is also able to cover filing fees for every DU, worth at least $36,000.  

New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Commissioner Manuel Castro gave an opening address welcoming newly-arrived Displaced Ukrainians and reminded them that it does not matter if they have lived in NYC for 50 years or for one week, they are already New Yorkers and very much welcomed here.  Many DUs simply cannot afford to hire experienced immigration attorneys to handle their cases, which puts them at risk of making errors when filing themselves or receiving inadequate advice by non-licensed (yet more affordable) “consultants.”  

This immigration clinic wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership of NYLAG, Cornerstone Church NYC (who provided space and refreshments), IRC, Ukrainian Jersey City, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.  Razom’s next immigration clinic will take place on May 6. 

The blockade of Azovstal in besieged Mariupol is ongoing.  Bear witness to the children sheltering in the fortress-like steel mill with over 2,000 Ukrainian fighters and civilians for weeks.  Watch this.  These children do not have to die.   Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Serhiy Volyna, filmed a message directly from Azovstal detailing exactly how we can save them.  Watch it here.  

Ukraine can stop russia only if it receives critical weapons from its international partners, such as heavy artillery, heavy-armored vehicles, air defense systems, and combat aircrafts.  Therefore we call on our friends and supporters to join the social media campaign #ArmUkraineNow by taking a photo with the hashtag and going to social media to appeal to the leadership of your state, or to the international community at large, to provide critical heavy weapons to Ukraine. 

Check out Razom’s new Advocacy page on our website to learn more about how you can educate yourself (and the public) about Ukraine.  We provide resources about upcoming rallies, how to contact your representatives, and other creative ways to get involved in advocating for Ukraine. 

For example this week, Razomtsi with other Ukrainian activists projected a Ukrainian flag on the russian ambassador’s luxurious townhouse in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with the message that Putin is a war criminal and Zelensky is a hero.  Ashley Kernitsky, SVP, Group Creative Director, Brand Experience at BCW Global designed the graphic projection.  

Meanwhile Razom’s Advocacy Team has carried out over 20 visits and engagements since the start of the war by meeting with high schools and universities, representatives’ offices, and activists and representatives of different communities.  Some notable visits included a meeting with Safi Rauf, a Afghan-American Naval reservist very recently released by the Taliban, and running a lecture for the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy for the diplomatic corps stationed all over the world, including those in Kazakstan, Cuba, and Japan consulates. 

Safi Rauf meeting with Razom Advocacy Team

Here’s your roundup of events to consider supporting that are fundraising for a good cause (like Razom’s Emergency Response project!):   

  • On Friday, April 22 at 10pm EDT the DJ collective Foreign Posse is hosting a Stand With Ukraine party at Karvouna Mezze on Manhattan. 
  • Chicago Artists for Ukraine have organized a fundraising art sale and exhibit on Saturday, April 23 from 4-11pm CDT and Sunday, April 24 from 12-3pm CDT with all proceeds from ticket and art sales going to Razom. 
  • On Saturday, April 23 urbanStages is hosting a Music Marathon For Ukraine at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm with all proceeds going to Razom’s Emergency Response. 
  • On Saturday, April 23 Arjana and Ivan, an acoustic duo based in NYC known for their unique takes and creative arrangements of tunes new and old, will be performing a benefit concert for Ukraine at the Nite Spot Night series at the MAC.  More info here.  
  • On Saturday, April 23 Bier Station will join with the Ukrainian Club of Kansas City, MO for an all-day benefit to support Razom.  They’re also hosting a silent auction online so you can participate even if you’re not in Missouri! 
  • On Thursday, April 28 at 7-9pm in Brooklyn, NY Soapbox Gallery will run a 3-day tribute to Ukrainian music and culture.  
  • On Saturday, April 30 from 2pm – 9:15pm EDT The Otto’s Benefit for Ukraine at Otto’s Shrunken Head in NYC will have a lineup of singer songwriters and bands with all proceeds from the concert going to Razom. 
  • On Saturday, April 30 from 3:30-7:30pm the Hudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction.  Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom’s Emergency Response project!
  • On Saturday, April 30 at 10-11:30am Pacific time Barnsdall Arts is hosting a Ukrainian Art Workshop via Zoom to learn about Petrykivka painting.  All proceeds go to Razom.
  • On Saturday, April 30 at 1pm EDT, Weave A Real Peace (WARP) will host Ukrainian textile artists Halyna Shepko (New York), Daryna Alieksieienko (Kyiv), Andriy Pyshkar (Ternopil), and Yaroslava Tkachuk (Lviv) for a discussion about their work within the Ukrainian weaving traditions.  Continuing Textile Traditions: Ukraine is a special program (online) to raise relief funds for Razom. 
  • On Sunday, May 1, 7-9pm EDT the Arts Center of Carrboro, NC will host an Evening of Bold Stories to support Ukrainian refugees.  
  • On Sunday, May 1 at 2pm EDT the Ukrainian American Business and Professionals Association and artist Dianna Derhak will host Sunflowers for Ukraine – Paint Sunday Fundraiser with all proceeds going to support the Ukrainian Documentary Film Project about the current war.
  • On Tuesday, May 3 at 7pm the Church Street School for Music and Art in NYC will host a Concert For Ukraine featuring violinist Nadia Khodakovska and members of CSSMA faculty.  All proceeds will go to Razom.  To reserve tickets email tobywine@churchstreetschool.org. 
  • On Friday, May 6 from 7-10pm the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, MI will be hosting a concert to benefit relief efforts through Razom.  More info here. 
  • On Saturday, May 7 Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie, NY is hosting the 8th Annual Peace and Harmony Invitational with all proceeds benefiting Ukraine. 
  • On May 17 DevOpsDays Ukraine (part of the global DevOpsDays family) is hosting a virtual conference benefiting Razom to to discuss DevOps during crisis, incident, and business continuity management and share Ukrainian DevOps expertise. 
  • On May 21, a local group of runners in Cheshire, CT are hosting a 5K run/walk in their town to fundraise for Razom.  Learn more info on how to join them or contribute to their GoFundMe page go here. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.


Little Italy and China Town on April 16, 2022

Newsletter #11: Latest Updates from Razom and a To-Do List for this Weekend

Published: April 15, 2022   

An update on the scale of Razom’s impact thanks to your donations and support, and a few key ways for you to do at least one thing for Ukraine today (including participating in a social media advocacy campaign).

Dear Razom community,

Thanks to your generosity and our unstoppable team of volunteers, Razom has been able to invest $14.4M into its Emergency Response efforts since day 1 of this war.  Here’s how it breaks down: 

  • $7.5M went towards procuring the most requested live-saving tactical medicine, medical supplies, and hospital needs delivered to territorial defense units and hospitals across regions in Ukraine that are actively fighting off their occupiers. 
  • $4.5M went towards procuring non-medical humanitarian aid in the form of communications devices to ensure safe and effective delivery of aid.
  • $1.2M went towards grants issued by Razom to organizations and initiatives that help civilians in hotspots and/or internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
  • $548k went towards carrying out our logistics chain 
  • $458k went towards procuring vehicles whether in the form of minibuses to help evacuate displaced children and families or in the form of 23 pick up trucks to help evacuate the wounded in active war zones.
  • $32k went towards Razom’s advocacy work

Meanwhile Razom’s Hospitals Team has built relationships with large nonprofit organizations and agencies that aggregate hospital supplies, global health and major disaster relief organizations, and several hospitals, to collect in-kind donations.  To date, those in-kind donations have an estimated value of $1.2M.  Check out our latest update on the Razom Blog to learn more about this incredible team and the organizations we’ve partnered up with.   The first of many medical missions was successfully carried out this week in partnership with MedGlobal resulting in 40 hours of trainings for an estimated total of 350 Ukrainian physicians in Lviv on poly trauma surgical procedures/ diagnostics/ surgeries, on operating portable butterfly ultrasounds (donated by MedGlobal), and educating doctors on how to prepare and act in case of chemical warfare.  These volunteering doctors were coming from Newark, NJ, Chicago, IL, Nashville, TN, and two from Paris, France. The mission brought with them 37 suitcases of medical supplies and 14 portable butterfly ultrasounds, estimating $700,000 in value. 

On our Blog you’ll also find the latest updates on how our long-time partners at “Building Ukraine Together” (БУР/BUR) have spent a $350k Razom grant supporting internally displaced people in Ukraine.  With those funds they were able to accomplish some of the following:

  • Provide temporary shelter and homes for over 20,000 in western Ukraine. 
  • Begin rebuilding destroyed family buildings in Kharkiv.
  • Organize the evacuation of over 1,300 people from Mariupol.
  • Deliver 75 fridges for blood preservation to 50 hospitals around Ukraine.

Starting today, Razom, along with several other Ukrainian organizations, calls upon its community and allies to join a global social media campaign “Arm Ukraine Now.”  Anyone who supports Ukraine for its unity and independence, and supports providing heavy weapons to Ukraine to end russia’s military aggression can participate.  It will run from today until April 30, 2022. 

Here’s how to join:

Take a photo of a piece of paper, on your phone, tablet, with the slogan #ArmUkraineNow (or yourself holding the photo).

Post to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, with a short appeal to the leadership of your state, or to the international community at large with the request to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons to counter russia’s aggression and to save civilian lives.  A photo should also be posted in the official group of the campaign so that others can see it by using the hashtag.

Tag three friends to do the same. 

Here’s your regular roundup of events to consider supporting that are fundraising for a good cause (like Razom’s Emergency Response project!):   

  • Right now, the Underdonk Gallery in Brookly, NY is running a benefit auction of New York artists’ works to benefit Ukraine, with all the proceeds going to Razom.  You can find more info, including a list of works here. 
  • This Saturday, April 16, 1-4pm EDT the China Town – Little Italy Historic District Improvement Association in NYC is hosting a concert and food fair to fundraise for Ukraine. 
  • On Wednesday, April 20, 12:30-2:00pm EDT the Westchester Biotech Project will host a webinar on The Global Impact of War in Ukraine on Clinical Research. 
  • On Friday, April 22 at 10pm EDT the DJ collective Foreign Posse is hosting a Stand With Ukraine party at Karvouna Mezze on Manhattan. 
  • Chicago Artists for Ukraine have organized a fundraising art sale and exhibit on Saturday, April 23 from 4-11pm CDT and Sunday, April 24 from 12-3pm CDT with all proceeds from ticket and art sales going to Razom. 
  • On Saturday, April 23 urbanStages is hosting a Music Marathon For Ukraine at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm with all proceeds going to Razom’s Emergency Response. 
  • On Saturday, April 23 Arjana and Ivan, an acoustic duo based in NYC known for their unique takes and creative arrangements of tunes new and old, will be performing a benefit concert for Ukraine at the Nite Spot Night series at the MAC.  More info here.  
  • On Saturday, April 30 from 2pm – 9:15pm EDT The Otto’s Benefit for Ukraine at Otto’s Shrunken Head in NYC will have a lineup of singer songwriters and bands with all proceeds from the concert going to Razom. 
  • On Saturday, April 30 from 3:30-7:30pm the Hudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction.  Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom’s Emergency Response project!
  • On Sunday, May 1, 7-9pm EDT the Arts Center of Carrboro, NC will host an Evening of Bold Stories to support Ukrainian refugees.  
  • On Tuesday, May 3 at 7pm the Church Street School for Music and Art in NYC will host a Concert For Ukraine featuring violinist Nadia Khodakovska and members of CSSMA faculty.  All proceeds will go to Razom.  To reserve tickets email tobywine@churchstreetschool.org. 
  • On Friday, May 6 from 7-10pm the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, MI will be hosting a concert to benefit relief efforts through Razom.  More info here. 
  • On Saturday, May 7 Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie, NY is hosting the 8th Annual Peace and Harmony Invitational with all proceeds benefiting Ukraine. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.

Stay Razom.

Newsletter #10: No time to rest, updates on Razom Emergency Response

Published: April 9, 2022   

In this latest newsletter update, you’ll find that Razom finds no time to rest.  We have updates on how your continuous donations make a difference for Ukraine and more ways to get involved.

As the war continues, so does the physical and emotional toll it takes on Ukrainians near and far.  However, the support pouring in from so many pockets of the world, and the strength and resilience of the people of Ukraine, volunteers, organizations on the ground, help us to be relentless in our mission to build a more prosperous Ukraine.  The time to act – donate, rally, protest, call and write to your representatives, organize, and volunteer – has never been more important.  As long as the russian invasion continues, the need to help Ukraine does as well.  So we humbly call on your incredible generosity again to help Razom continue to maintain and scale our humanitarian relief efforts.  Here’s a list of some of the work we’ve been able to accomplish:

  • At the same time that a russian missile hit Kramatorsk train station killing over 50 people, Razom and “Dity my vstyhnemo” teams safely evacuated 115 people from Bakhmut, 50 kilometers away from the train station. In the last few days, we evacuated over 150 people from the Donetsk oblast – Bakhmut, Soledar and Chasiv Yar.
  • We worked with Spirit of America to equip our volunteer driver teams in Ukraine with their own helmets, body armor, and IFAKs. They risk their lives daily to deliver aid and carry out evacuations from the most dangerous, war-torn cities of Ukraine, and we are endlessly grateful for their effectiveness and bravery.   
  • Thanks to an IT system that a small group of volunteers built from scratch to track our warehouse inventory in Ukraine and match it to needs in battle-torn regions in Ukraine, our driver team has distributed over 117 orders of tactical medicine, hospital medicine, civilian drones for safe medical delivery, walkie-talkies, and satellite phones to territorial defense units and hospitals across Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia regions.
  • We have procured and shipped over 115,248 tourniquets alone! 
  • Razom and Ukrainian Jersey City are partnering to assist displaced Ukrainians with shelter, healthcare services, and education in the New York and New Jersey area.  If you can help a Displaced Ukrainian in a meaningful way, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/976Bk6VpwnuNkbG86

Meanwhile Razom’s Advocacy Team is doing another round of meetings on the Hill next week.  Ukraine is holding the frontline for democracy for people all over the world right now, it’s important that everyone be engaged in the effort.  

Since late February, you have come together to host over 200 events that fundraise toward Razom’s work in Ukraine.  Each one of us can do 1 thing to help Ukraine whether that’s in our homes, communities, or workplaces.  We are so grateful for the communities that have been brought together all over the country.  Below is a snapshot of some of the latest events for you to partake in:   

  • Today in NYC (Sat 4/9) at 2pm, we’ll be gathering atTimes Squareand marching to theConsulate General of Ukraine to #stopukrainiangenocide draw the world’s attention to the genocide carried by russia towards the Ukrainian nation.  More info here.  
  • Today in Washington D.C. (Sat 4/9) at 3-5pm, we’ll be doing a performance protest to draw the world’s attention to the genocide carried by russia towards the Ukrainian nation, as well as demand help for Ukrainians to fight back the russian aggression.  More info here. 
  • Today in Brooklyn (Sat 4/9) at 6-11pm there will be an opening party of Ukrainian artist, Kate Goltseva’s new exhibit ‘Peace’ at the Rich Ramsay Studio in Dumbo.  Half of the art sales will be donated to Razom.  Kate, born and raised in Kyiv, has an opportunity to share her new collection, inspired by the Ukraine she knows, to raise awareness of her country’s culture and contribute to those in need.  More info here.  
  • Today, 4/9 from 12-5pm CST in Westmont, IL the Uptown Tavern (12 W Burlington Ave) will be hosting a fundraising featuring music, drink specials, door prizes, and raffles to raise money for Razom.   
  • All weekend at the Little Market’s Noho location (637 Broadway, NYC) Divchata has partnered with the woman-owned, non-profit fair trade shop featuring ethically sourced, artisan-made products to shop for Ukraine.  100% of proceeds will be donated to Razom.  
  • On Sunday, 4/10 at 2pm we’ll be running #BoycottNestle pickets simultaneously at two locations: 1) SoHo, 92 Prince Street and 2) Uptown 935 Madison Avenue.  More info here. 
  • On Sunday, 4/10 at 6:30pm Reserva Wine Bar will host a Beacon Benefit for Ukraine featuring professional Broadway singers, international musicians, singer/songwriters and performing community members from Beacon, NY.  All proceeds will be going towards Razom.  More info here.
  • On Monday, 4/11 at 7:30pm the St. Malachy’s – The Actors’ Chapel and Mercury Opera team up to raise funds with FREEDOM, a concert for Ukraine.  Catch the line up and your tickets here. 
  • NYC Moms For A Cause will be hosting a Cocktail Reception to Benefit Ukrainian Families on April 12th, 6:30-9:00pm at the Ukrainian Institute of America.  The evening will include live performances, a silent auction, and heavy canapés and flowing drinks, all in support of Razom Emergency Response. 
  • Chicago Artists for Ukraine have organized a fundraising art sale and exhibit on Saturday, April 23rd from 4-11pm CST with all proceeds from ticket and art sales going to Razom.  More info here. 
  • On Saturday, 4/23 Arjana and Ivan, an acoustic duo based in NYC known for their unique takes and creative arrangements of tunes new and old, will be performing a benefit concert for Ukraine at the Nite Spot Night series at the MAC.  More info here.  
  • April 30th from 3:30-7:30pm the Hudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction.  Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom Emergency Response project!
  • May 3rd at 7pm the Church Street School for Music and Art in NYC will host a Concert For Ukraine featuring violinist Nadia Khodakovska and members of CSSMA faculty.  All proceeds will go to Razom.  To reserve tickets email tobywine@churchstreetschool.org. 
  • May 6th from 7-10pm the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, MI will be hosting a concert to benefit relief efforts through Razom.  More info here. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkriane.

Stay Razom.