Razom Says Dyakuyu – Thank You – To The Organizers And Participants of Ukraine Ballet Benefit In Orlando

Published: November 6, 2022

We are excited to share with you our series Razom Says Dyakuyu. “Dyakuyu” means “thank you” in Ukrainian. Our work supporting Ukraine and getting humanitarian aid on the ground where it is needed most, would not be possible without the generous donations made by donors. With this series, we are highlighting some of the amazing donors and unique fundraisers that have supported Razom.

The power of fundraising lies in the power of communities. When Vadim Fedotov, a retired principal dancer of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House of Ukraine and a resident of Florida, shared his vision of bringing the National Ballet to Orlando with his friend Marc McMurrin of the Ginsburg Family Foundation, a plan was born. Having spent significant time in Ukraine and come to call it his second home, Marc loved the idea of bringing the abundant Ukrainian culture to Orlando, his native place.

After four months of careful planning, on August 27, the prestigious Steinmetz Hall welcomed thousands of Orlando residents and guests from out of state for a performance of the National Ballet of Ukraine. The evening yielded $800,000 raised for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Razom is grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of this incredible effort by the Orlando community.

“We stand with the Ukrainian people and are honored to have Razom as one of the beneficiaries for this event raising funds and bringing awareness for a more prosperous and victorious Ukraine” – Alan H. Ginsburg

Highlighting Ukrainian culture, the program featured excerpts from some of the most breathtaking classical ballets. You can learn more about the project and watch the entire performance at https://ukraineballetbenefit.com/.

The evening also honored and paid tribute to Vadim Fedotov who had passed untimely several months prior to the Benefit concert — a concert he had envisioned. Maestro Fedotov choreographed two of the pieces in the program: Myroslav Skoryk’s “Melody” and “Mariupol” set to the music by Mozart. The latter featured striking images of destroyed Mariupol buildings. The dancers of the National Ballet that transformed the viewer included the incomparable Olena Filipieva. Maestro Sergii Golubnychyi conducted the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra presenting to the attendees Ukrainian composers among the more traditional ballet fare.

As the guests entered the building, the Bach Festival Choir conducted by Viktoriia Konchakovskaya sang a selection of Ukrainian songs. The Bach Festival Choir also performed American/Ukrainian national anthems and the Prayer for Ukraine later in the program. Guests were asked to wear Ukrainian National colors, and sunflowers decorated the reception hall.

The entire cost of the performance was underwritten by presenting sponsors: Ginsburg Family Foundation, Nemours Children’s Health, Universal Orlando, Dr. Phillips Center, Haddock Family Foundation, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Kathy Morgan & Marty Rubin, which enabled 100% of all ticket sales, sponsorships, as well as proceeds from Silent and Live Auctions to go to causes benefiting Ukraine.

Razom would also like to thank our partners, Ukraine Veteran Fund, and Svitlana Kashenets for suggesting Razom as a beneficiary of the concert.

Razom x Face to Face Medical Mission

Published: November 5, 2022

During September 16-24th, Razom facilitated a medical mission for the group of 11 American doctors and nurses from AAFPRS (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) to deliver advanced reconstructive surgeries and corrective plastic procedures to patients who suffered as a result of russia’s war on Ukraine. In the spirit of collaboration and learning, American and Ukrainian colleagues worked side by side at the medical facility of Ivano Frankivsk Oblast Hospital.

On May 22, 2022, we received an email that read:

“My name is Dr. Manoj Abraham and I am a Facial Plastic Surgeon based in New York. I am the Chair of the Face To Face Committee, the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and I am a Governor for the American College of Surgeons. We are looking to partner with anyone sending medical teams to safe areas in Ukraine or surrounding areas to help treat those with facial injuries from the war – we have experience doing this previously in Croatia. We will need to connect with hospitals and doctors in the local area to help coordinate, and I am hoping you can put me in touch with anyone who can help with making these arrangements. My contact information is listed below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Manoj”

This email started a massive collaboration that resulted in the Razom x Face to Face Medical Mission, giving 31 Ukrainians, military and civilians alike, extremely complex reconstructive surgeries and a chance to have a normal life.

Our team immediately saw the incredible potential and the major challenge of implementing such a mission, especially in the ongoing war. At first, it seemed almost impossible to find and connect all the dots to make it happen. Even the American College of Surgeons sadly informed Dr. Manoj T. Abraham:

“Many of you have reached out to us, asking how you can contribute to the care of victims in war-torn Ukraine.

At this time, no current role or mechanism exists for safe travel to help in person.”

But Razom’s team decided to embrace the challenge. We mobilized all connections and resources available to us to ensure that such an altruistic and invaluable for Ukrainian people intention becomes a reality.

Razom for Ukraine has been bringing doctors from the US to Ukraine since 2016 to work with surgeons on the ground and perform neurosurgery as a part of The Co-Pilot Project initiated and run by Razom’s co-founder Mariya Soroka and her husband, Dr. Luke Tomycz, Neurosurgeon at The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey. The project has been a huge success and has given us a decent network of Ukrainian and American healthcare professionals and partners.

Hundreds of hours, miles of correspondence, and countless Zoom calls went into planning this mission. First, we connected with Dr. Ivanka Nebor – ENT doctor, founder, and president of INgenius, a platform for the development of medicine and science in Ukraine. Thanks to her professional network of young physicians in Ukraine, we were able to install the first wheel to the Face to Face vehicle.

We needed a hospital with operating theaters, postoperative care units, inpatient wards, and possible intensive care units. It was vital not to disrupt the care that was already being provided to the patients. The Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital and Ukrainian ENT doctor Natalia Komashko and her team courageously embraced a massive workload by taking on a lot of challenging cases in a short period of time.

American and Ukrainian — Dr. Natalia Komashko and Dr. Ivanka Nebor

Finding the Ukrainian doctors and a hospital both interested and able to facilitate the American doctors’ efforts was only the beginning. Ahead of us laid a lengthy and complex process of recruiting and screening the patients. INgenius has utilized its platform and social media outreach to spread the word.

Patients’ stories moved, shook, and horrified us. The survivors of russian aggression hailed from locations notorious for war crimes and atrocities, such as Bucha, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Izyum. Repairing facial scars could be the final stage in their arduous medical journeys, allowing them to finally get closure, feel whole again, and return to society. Understanding that recuperation and readjustment to society are greatly aided by psychological rehabilitation, Razom invited our “Razom With You” therapists from the Ivano-Frankivsk Support Center to help the patients cope and process what happened to them.

English subtitles are available for this video

There were a large number of applications, but only the 34 most complicated ones could be selected. Not only did the patients need all of the supporting medical documentation for the screening process, but they also had to be physically able to withstand long hours of complicated surgeries.

After months of planning, long hours of surgery, and heartbreaking patient stories, this mission has deeply touched every participant. The American doctors’ and nurses’ incredible selfless devotion to helping people will long be remembered and appreciated by all Ukrainians.

The goal of this mission isn’t only to perform the medical procedures but to teach the Ukrainian doctors employ these incredible technologies in their practice. Throughout the entire week, all surgeries were broadcasted and available live for all medical professionals in Ukraine to observe and learn. Razom’s focus was always to support the democracy and prosperity in Ukraine, and modern healthcare is a vital part of any society. We strive to continue developing the avenues for education and experience exchange on both sides of the Atlantic by implementing more missions and projects that aid this process.

Please, donate to help us rebuild Ukraine and ensure that Ukrainian people have access to technologies available in the modern healthcare field

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Our 30th Newsletter in 8 Months!

Published: October 28, 2022

Dear Razom Community,

Thanks to you and the friends and family you shared our fundraiser with, we’ve raised over $130,000 towards the Power Up Ukraine initiative (on facebook or on Evergreen) as part of our Emergency Response Project in just two weeks. Of course there’s also our general fund here that you can contribute to, where we continue to prioritize our Emergency Response Project that includes delivering life-saving aid and advocating for Ukraine. But as the days get colder, electricity and water more intermittent, air raid sirens and missiles strikes far from the frontlines become common, and warcrimes accumulate, it’s never been more important for you to continue to maintain your support and share how others can help. The more we all do this, the faster Ukraine will win and this war will end.

There are so many of you who rally around targeted fundraisers you start yourselves (a new installment of Razom Says Dyakuyu (thank you) blog posts below!) that together our reach can become exponential. We hope that you can forward these newsletters on so that your community can grasp the impact a simple action of theirs can have.

This week’s updates start with our work on aid focused on winter preparedness:

We have distributed 24 generators in 2 weeks to Ukrainian defenders and first responders, with many still making their way to Ukraine.
Thanks to the Toronto Police Service and Allied Universal Canada, our Canada-based procurement team was able to ship 1,500 three-season jackets to Ukraine.
So many of you contributed towards buying urgent supplies off of our Amazon Wishlist that we were able to ship 3 pallets worth of thermal underwear and socks, waterproof winter gloves, sleeping bags, power banks and more, in less than three weeks! Keep up the good work and remember, when you go to check out, just click “Razom’s Gift Registry Address” underneath the “Other Addresses” section when choosing shipping.

Razom’s in-kind donations team continues to work with individual medical professionals in the U.S. and major global health and disaster relief organizations to secure, ship, and distribute (with the help of our Ukraine-based partners Zdorovi and Patients of Ukraine) the most in-need hospital supplies and medicines across Ukraine:

In partnership with MedShare (a continued and trusted partner since the start of the full-scale invasion) and a generous donor, three OR surgical tables were delivered to Irpin, Kharkiv and Dnipro. These OR tables will enable specialized surgeries for Ukrainians in need.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Afya Foundation, Razom was able to ship durable medical equipment (DME) and medical supplies to our partner Rescue Now that further distributed the wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and walkers to the elderly and Ukrainians with disabilities in the Kharkiv region. These donations enabled those in need to regain their mobility and dignity.
Razom and Zdorovi were able to deliver another 14 iQ+ devices to Ukraine last week. These portable ultrasounds are vital in providing diagnostic evaluation during emergency situations, because they can be used for numerous POCUS (Point of Care UltraSound) procedures.
DUKAL, with special support from the company’s President, Gerry LoDuca, donated 24 pallets worth of medical gauze for hospitals in Ukraine. Thanks to a partnership with Airlink the shipping was subsidized. More of these fundamental supplies are en route to Ukraine now!

From September 16-22, the first mission of plastic and reconstructive surgeons “Face to Face — Ukrainian Medical Mission” took place. This project was created in cooperation with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), Razom for Ukraine and the medical platform INgenius. The mission completed 34 consultations and 31 operative interventions at the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital. This video shares the incredible work of those who doctors and nurses who volunteered for the mission, and the stories of the people’s lives that were forever changed.

Given our intense focus on aid, advocacy, and fundraising since February 24th, you might not know a lot about Razom’s other projects before the full-scale invasion. We’re happy to be able to put a spotlight on one of them now – Veteranius. This project was started three years ago with the mission of helping Ukrainian veterans break into technology with their first IT job. Project Veteranius runs training programs that combine the development of technical skills with practical projects, mentorship opportunities, and emotional and psychological support.

The number of Ukrainian veterans increases on a daily basis, so Razom is especially proud to announce a partnership with the Linux Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) to expand access to technology education for Ukrainian veterans, their families, and Ukrainians in need. You can read the official press release here. The partnership will focus on adding three new classes to Project Veteranius – Intro to Linux, Git for Distributed Software Development, and Intro to Kubernetes.

If you are interested in getting involved, there are many ways you can help!

Donate monetarily here
Donate hardware and/or software for students to use during classes
Donate your time and skills

Reach out to veteranius@razomforukraine.org for more information about involvement.

Donate to Veteranius

Join us this Saturday, October 29th, 3:00 PM, Times Square (Father Duffy Square, near the steps) as Iranian and Ukrainian communities come together to for a joint protest against tyranny and autocracy.
Stand together with the brave people of Iran in their fight for liberty and justice. Support them in their fight for the brighter and free future of their country. Ukrainians and Iranians have common enemies – two dictators that threaten liberty and global security!
We will keep our fight until victory.
Together with Burmese community and free people of Tigray!
Co organisers: @nicolenajafi @womanlifefreedomnyc
Poster by: @parisa.dale

If you can’t stand side by side with us at our weekly Saturday protests in NYC, then we hope you can join us at some of these events across the country! Put these on your calendar:

In New York:

On Friday, October 28 @ 5PM in Manhattan, Razom is hosting a fireside chat with Ihor Dvoretskiy of Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), a leading IT leader in Ukraine and a big advocate of open source technology, who is currently serving in the Ukrainian military. Moderated by Dmytro Kavun, Razom Board Member and one of the leaders of Razom’s Veteranius project, they’ll be discussing Ihor’s story of transitioning from IT into the military and answering questions. Together they delivered a keynote address at KubeCon this week. More info about the get together here.
On Saturday, October 29 @ 6:20PM at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden come support Ukraine at Vasyl Lomachenko boxing match. We’re making it a special one with a surprise flashmob to support Ukraine. Get your tickets here.
On Thursday, November 3 @ 7-9PM in Hoboken, NJ the Hoboken-based music and poetry collective “West of Willow” is hosting a special event to raise funds for Razom. This event includes Hoboken poet laureate Danny Shot, musicians Rest Ashore and Karyn Kuhl, and author Jack Silbert. Make your donations to participate in the event here.
On Sunday, November 6 @ 5PM at the SohoPlayhouse come catch a performance of Psalm/Salmo, a synthesis of poetry, music, theater, and cinema created from the verses of Vasyl Makhno about the Russia-Ukraine war. All proceeds will be donated to humanitarian causes in Ukraine. Get your ticket here.
On Saturday, November 12 @ 7PM the Coney Island Comedy Festival is proud to present The Funnies NYCUkrainian Fundraiser Stand Up Comedy Show at The Red Doorsbar and grill, located Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $15, with all sales donated to Razom for Ukraine. The Funnies NYC is a Stand Up Comedy Show showcasing comedians from around the world. The 11/12 show will Headline: Gregory Korostishevsky (The BlackList, Orange Is A New Black, Billions, White Collar), with Features from: Mike Hernendez (New York Silly), Meka Mo (2022 Best of BWICLaffFest), Upa InSpace (CICF), Mick Diflo, and Coney Island’s own Cherryann Trinidad. Purchase tickets here.
On Thursday, November 17 @ 7-11PM the Dungeons & Dragons Club in NYC is hosting a game night with all ticket sale proceeds going to Razom. The evening will include free drinks and appetizers and feature a DJ and interactive art gallery. New D&D players are welcome and highly encouraged! Get your tickets here!
On Sunday, November 19 @ 7-11PM the Lisovi Chorty Plast Fraternity is celebrating their centenary by hosting a formal costume ball, or Kostyumivka, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. The elegant affair will be a fundraiser to support humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. Secure your tickets here.
On Sunday, December 4 @ 2PM Notes From Ukraine, a concertdedicated to 100 years of “Shchedryk” and highlighting Ukrainian music and the connections between Ukrainian and American cultures, will take the stage at Carnegie Hall. Secure your tickets here!

In Washinton, D.C.:

On Friday, October 28 @ 4-5:30PM in Washington D.C. the US Ukraine Foundation and the Jamestown Foundation invite you to an Interview & Book Signing with Stanislav Aseyev, a Ukrainian novelist and journalist born in Donetsk. His book In Isolation: Dispatches from Occupied Donbas details infamous Donetsk prison IZOLYATSIA, where he was subjected to mistreatment and intermittent torture for over two and a half years. Register for the event here.
On November 15-17, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) “Ukrainian Days” advocacy event will be held after the midterm elections. Register here.
On Wednesday, November 30 @ 5:30-8:30PM, the U.S. – Ukraine Foundation will host the D.C. premier of Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, an incredible documentary film by Evgeny Afinevsky is a sequel to his 2015 documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. Info on how to secure tickets to come!

In Texas:

On Saturday, October 29 @ 8:30AM – 12PM in Woodlands, TX, the College Park High School Students Association is hosting a relay at the school’s track field to fundraise for Razom. You can sign up here to join!

In Massachusetts:

The Oxbow Gallery in Easthampton, MA will be showing a series of new oil paintings by Joanne Holtje, “Lamentations,” from October 27-November 27, 2022. Begun in early 2022, this series served as a way for her to bear witness to the horror of the invasion of Ukraine. The proceeds of sales from the show, plus an additional 20% match from an anonymous donor will be donated to Razom.

In Illinois:

On Saturday, November 12 @ 6PM the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago is hosting its annual fundraising gala “Ukraine My Love”. It will feature Ukrainian-American artist Ola Rondiak as the keynote speaker and Serhiy FOMA Fomenko, a Ukrainian fusion folk singer from Mandy. Buy your tickets here.

In Florida:

Introducing to the world: KOLO, an unparalleled immersive visual experience and theatrical dance show celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Ukraine! The first of its kind, KOLO is the brainchild of award-winning, Ukrainian-bred competitive ballroom dancers and partners, Iaroslav and Liliia Bieliei, both natives of Kyiv who now call Los Angeles home. The show is launching its North American tour in Florida:
- December 26 @ 3PM and 7PM at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, FL
- December 29 @ 8PM at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, FL

U.S. Tour:

KAZKA is back in the US for its “I’m Ukraine” tour that will kick off with a charity concert at New York’s Melrose Ballroom on November 4 @ 9:00PM. You can also catch them in Miami, Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco. Get your tickets here!
Volodymy Rafayenko is on Book Tour in the US brought to you by Razom Translates, a project of Razom which fundraised for a translation of Volodymyr Rafeyenko’s book Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love in 2021. Here is a list of the upcoming events with him (we will be adding on to this list). Please also follow our facebook page for events information:
- Atlanta: Saturday, October 29 @ 3PM. More info here.
- Hunter College in NY: Tuesday, November 1 @ 6PM. More info here.
- George Washington University in D.C.: Thursday, November 3.
- Ukraine House in D.C.: Monday, November 7.
- Ukrainian Museum-Archives in Cleveland, OH: Tuesday, November 8 @ 6-8PM. More info here.
- UCSD in San Diego, CA: Monday, November 14 @ 5-6PM. More info here.
- Columbia University in NYC: Wednesday, November 16 @ 5-6:30PM. More info here.

Continuing our Razom Says Dyakuyu (thank you) series , we want to spotlight some amazing stories of generosity, support, and simple organizing to fundraise for Razom’s work in helping Ukraine. We’ve collected a lot of these stories over the past 8 months, and they continue to sustain and inspire us. Below are the most recent spotlights (click on the photos to link to the stories!).

RAZOM SAYS DYAKUYU – THANK YOU – TO THE ORGANIZERS AND PARTICIPANTS OF THE BENEFIT CONCERT FOR UKRAINE AT THE UCCS

Pass on this message, this newsletter, to your friends and family, your workplace, and your local community to raise awareness about how others can support Ukraine and help save lives in the process. We are immensely grateful.

Stay razom.

How Can I Help

New Partnership for Veteranius to Scale Up IT-education for Veterans

Published: October 26, 2022

In the view of the fact that the number of Ukrainian veterans increases on a daily basis, we are especially pleased to share that today, on October 26th 2022, Linux Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) announced their partnership with Razom for Ukraine on Razom’s Project Veteranius. The partnership will aim “to provide access to technology education for Ukrainian veterans, their families, and Ukrainians in need. Leveraging its expertise in IT Training programs, Linux Foundation will help Razom make three of LF’s training courses accessible to Ukrainians through translations and help solidify partnerships with other IT-focused organizations that will make courses scalable to large student populations” – as stated in the press-release.

Veteranius is a three-year-old Razom’s initiative created to assist Ukrainian veterans in getting their first IT job. Veteranius training programs combine the development of technical skills with practical projects, mentorship opportunities, and emotional and psychological support.

Ihor Dvoretskyi, Senior Developer Advocate at Cloud Native Computing Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Razom for Ukraine to enable free and open educational opportunities for Ukrainian veterans, their family members, and other people affected by the war. This program is a wonderful opportunity for current and prospective veterans of the Ukrainian Army, as well as their relatives, looking to start a career in technology.”

“Razom is very grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Linux Foundation on this initiative! These classes on the topics of Linux, Kubernetes, and Git will enable the Veteranius team to expand the scope of the existing training program and allow an opportunity to explore a more broad set of IT positions,” said Dora Chomiak, President, Razom.

Linux Foundation courses that will be translated into Ukrainian for Project Veteranius:

Introduction to Linux
Git for Distributed Software Development
Introduction to Kubernetes

If you are interested in getting involved, there are many ways you can help!

Donate monetarily;
Donate hardware and/or software for students to use during classes;
Donate your time and skills.

Reach out to veteranius@razomforukraine.org for more information about involvement.

donate with credit card

donate with paypal

Razom and 25+ Organizations Submit Letter to Support Ukraine in the Defense Bill

Published: October 20, 2022

At 10:00am on October 20, 2022, representatives of the Ukrainian, Belarusian, Baltic, Syrian, Bosnian, and Peace Corps volunteer communities of the United States submitted a signed letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The letter urges the committees to include vital provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that help ensure Ukraine’s ability to prevail against the Russian invasion. The letter can be read below.

Letter-on-NDAA-Ukraine-related-provisions-10-20-2022

Atlantic Council. No, russia’s airstrike escalation is not retaliation for the Crimean Bridge

Published: October 13, 2022

Atlantic Council published an article, written by the Razom Advocacy Team, on the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert blog. Razom has always stressed that narrative and framing is important, that information about Ukraine needs to be reported accurately. Millions of lives depend on it. We thank our Advocacy Team for the important work they do every day in sharing the truth about Ukraine with the world.

“by Razom Advocacy Team

Russia fired more than 80 missiles and launched at least 24 kamikaze drones at civilian targets across Ukraine on October 10. The latest reports suggest that 19 Ukrainians were killed in the attacks with more than 100 injured. The strikes left large swathes of the country without electricity, water, and internet access. The following day, Russian airstrikes continued with around 30 missiles and 15 drones targeting civilian infrastructure.

This wave of attacks began just two days after an explosion on the Crimean Bridge, which links the occupied Ukrainian peninsula with the Russian Federation. In an address on October 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow’s dramatic air war escalation was a direct response to the suspected Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge.

Many international media outlets appeared to take Putin at his word and framed their coverage of the Russian missile blitz as retaliation for the earlier bridge attack. These attempts to create a single news narrative from two separate events are factually incorrect, not to mention pernicious.

The scale of Russia’s aerial attacks on October 10-11 indicates weeks if not months of planning and preparations. Dozens of targets in towns and cities across Ukraine had to be identified and confirmed; missiles, bombers, warships, and drones had to deployed and prepared for action. These are not tasks that could realistically be accomplished in the two-day window between the Crimean Bridge attack and the launch of Russia’s airstrike escalation.

In addition to these obvious practical issues, the retaliation narrative also risks creating false equivalency between Russian international aggression and Ukraine’s justifiable efforts to defend itself. The Crimean Bridge was constructed by Russia to strengthen Moscow’s illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Furthermore, it has since been used as a key artery for the transportation of troops and military equipment from the Russian Federation to Crimea and Russian-occupied regions of southern Ukraine. In other words, the bridge plays a vital logistical role in the Russian invasion. As such, it clearly qualifies as a legitimate military target…”

Read Full Article Here

Learn more about and support the work of Razom Advocacy Team here.

Newsletter #29: Urgent Call To Action

Published: October 11, 2022

Yesterday, another morning waking up to horrific news of deadly russian attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and today, another opportunity to help Ukraine win. Make no mistake, this unprecedented attack wasn’t about revenge for the bridge connecting russia to occupied Crimea. Monday’s 84+ missiles were designed to keep Ukrainians cold for the winter ahead. Razom has been delivering aid for winter preparedness over the past couple of weeks already, but we need your help now to scale that work. Below, several ways you can help Ukraine today.

Dear Razom Community,

Although by no means are any of Monday’s events new to Ukrainians, the scale of the attack, across every major corner of Ukraine, was unprecedented since the invasion on February 24th. Air raid sirens in every region of Ukraine lasted for more than five hours. Every day, russian terrorism gets more and more aggressive, more and more inhuman. After yesterday, over 100 civilians have died, more have been injured, and major cities across Ukraine have lost water and electricity.

But Ukrainians are not afraid. They, we, have been preparing for this and fighting this for a long time. Razom continues to work to deliver aid, advocate for Ukraine, and engage people around the world to donate money and time. You can help us in this, and every time you do, Ukraine and everything that it stands for, gets closer to victory.

Here’s what you can do:

DONATE – Help power-up Ukraine by donating to Razom’s fundraiser (on facebook or on Evergreen) to deliver generators and power banks to Ukrainian first responders and defenders so that they can carry out rescue operations and save lives. In the last few weeks, we’ve focused our efforts on winter preparedness, delivering generators and even Ukraine-made wood burning stoves (over 30 of them have already made it into the hands of the end users!). But now what they need most are supplies that will keep the lights on after yesterday’s attacks. The goal of this campaign is to raise $100,000 to purchase portable heat and power sources and deliver them to places where Ukrainians need them most. Since February 24th, Razom has made over 2,000 deliveries of critical aid to end users on the front lines of saving lives in Ukraine. Your donations will help us to continue to scale the massive work we have at hand.
ADVOCATE – Write and call to your elected officials to declare Russia a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Here’s a link to how to do that for your US Senators and Members of Congress.
SHARE – Pass on this message, this newsletter, to your friends and family, your workplace, and your local community to raise awareness about how others can support Ukraine and help save lives in the process.

How Can I Help?

Razom has been working on Aid, Advocacy, and Fundraising for Ukraine since day one, and we will continue to do all of those things. Your support is vital to our meeting the needs of Ukrainians on the ground. Below are two recent stories of initiatives that would not have been made possible without your donations.

During September 16-24th, Razom, in partnership with INgenius (a platform for developing medicine and science in Ukraine), facilitated a medical mission for a group of 11 experienced plastic surgeons and nurses from the US and the AAFPRS (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) to deliver 40 advanced reconstructive surgeries and corrective plastic procedures to 31 patients who suffered as a result of russia’s war on Ukraine – completely free of charge. The group brought $325,000 in medical supplies (including custom designed implants) and donated around $300,000 in value of surgeries. Some procedures lasted as long as 10 hours. We were touched, shaken, and horrified by the patients’ stories. They came from places like Bucha, Izyum, Kherson, Chernihiv, Sumy, places with documented atrocities and war crimes, and with wounds and burns from shelling, mine explosions, direct gunshots, and artillery fire. For many of these patients, fixing the scars on their faces may be the last step in their arduous medical journeys, something that brings closure, helps heal and return to society. Psychological rehabilitation is an important factor in recovery and reintegration, so we brought therapists from our Razom z Toboyu program in Ivano-Frankivsk for onsite support.

In the spirit of collaboration and learning, American and Ukrainian colleagues worked side by side at the medical facility of Ivano Frankivsk Oblast Hospital. This special Ukrainian medical mission was called “Face to Face” and is undoubtedly only the beginning of a fruitful and life-saving cooperation between Ukrainian and American doctors and surgeons. Over 130 Ukrainian medical professionals watched the masterful work of their American colleagues and Ivano-Frankivsk doctors in-person and online (in real-time) to learn the procedures. Currently most plastic and reconstructive procedures are not available in public hospitals, and patients have to turn to either high cost private clinics or, for the military, wait for their turn in military hospitals which are overwhelmed with wound and trauma patients. Our solution is to work with Ukrainian doctors and policy makers on education and popularization of plastic and reconstructive procedures and advocating for free plastic and reconstructive surgery for the victims of war.

The American doctors were impressed by the courage and patience of the Ukrainians they operated on. In six months, they plan to return to continue the work of the medical mission and help more people.

In light of yesterday’s events, we also want to spotlight the work of one of our grantees from the Razom Grants project, the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PFVMH), a Ukrainian NGO of civilian healthcare professionals saving lives by treating and evacuating injured Ukrainian people on the frontline of the war in Ukraine. In September alone, PFVMH medical professionals treated almost 1,200 people. Over 800 patients had severe war injuries, and 6 of them didn’t make it.

Vsevolod Stebliuk, PFVMH Medical Director, says there are no “easy cases.” Every day, there are wounded people that PFVMH angels bring back from the dead. Even when their hearts stop, the doctors fight for their lives, often resuscitating patients 3-4 times. A 99.5% success rate during wartime… truly is a miracle. That’s why they were nicknamed “Angels in Scrubs” by the Ukrainian public.

The level of professionalism among the volunteer doctors is unprecedented. That’s why the importance of top-grade medical equipment and continuous aid cannot be overvalued. High-quality tactical medicine kits, surgical instruments, external fixation devices, anesthesia breathing systems, and even fuel for evacuations and transportation are all key elements that give Ukrainian people a chance to survive. Razom has an ongoing fundraiser to aid the current needs of Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital. To support and help them save even more lives, join our Facebook Fundraiser or visit RAZOM x PFVMH – the donation buttons are at the bottom of the page. You can also visit their official website.

DONATE to Razom

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, sharing it, generously donating to many of our important projects, and for showing your support of Ukraine. We are immensely grateful.

Stay razom.

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Razom Says Dyakuyu – Thank You – to Fox Rock Foundation

Published: October 10, 2022

We are excited to share with you our series Razom Says Dyakuyu. “Dyakuyu” means “thank you” in Ukrainian. Our work supporting Ukraine would not be possible without the generous donations made by donors. This series highlights some of the amazing philanthropists and unique fundraisers that have supported Razom.

Razom is delighted to announce that we received a $1,000,000 donation from Karen and Rob Hale through their family foundation, Fox Rock Foundation.

“We are pleased to support Razom in their emergency response in Ukraine, which will enable them to continue to scale their emergency response to the unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We are impressed by the impact of their dedicated work to deliver life-saving medical supplies to people who need them most and inspired by their work to support internally displaced people by providing food, water, and shelter through a vast network of nonprofit partners on the ground in Ukraine,” said Karen Hale.

Fox Rock Foundation is a private family foundation established by Karen and Rob Hale and their adult children, Trevor, Thomas, and Brett, to inspire health in our communities and our environment, with more opportunity for all.

The foundation’s current focus is a series of grant partnerships with small and midsized nonprofits making a difference on a variety of causes in New England and beyond. Fox Rock Foundation builds on the philanthropy of Hales’ other charitable funds, like Granite Gives Back and FoxRock Cares. Through numerous giving channels, the Hale family has pledged or donated more than $300 million to a broad range of worthy causes. Razom is honored to be among this year’s beneficiaries. Forbes featured their remarkable philanthropy in a recent story: www.forbes.com.

The Hale family’s generous contribution is a sizable part of the $64M raised by Razom since February 24, 2022. All funds are directed to the immediate emergency response in Ukraine and have helped Razom to ship over 400 tons of medical equipment:

16 3136 tourniquets;
90 000 first aid kits;
over 1,303 tactical medical backpacks;
100,000+ chest wound seals;
over 300 wound vac machines. (The Razom Impact Report, July 2022)

Additionally, Razom has provided grants to over 100 volunteer organizations in Ukraine that work tirelessly to deliver food, water, and shelter to people in hot zones, including recently liberated regions. Delivering help to Ukrainians, Razom drivers have driven farther than circling the globe seven times!

The Fox Rock Foundation donation started with a voicemail left at the Razom office in May. Razom volunteer, Yulia O’Connell, returned a call to the foundation and was asked to tell them about Razom. Yulia shared from the heart and told the Fox Rock Foundation leader why she has volunteered with Razom from the moment she moved to NYC. (Yulia is from Donetsk and spent several years living in Moscow.)

Since its establishment in 2014, Razom has created an inspiring community-building spirit and developed incredible patronage programs. For example, Veteranius is a project that supports Ukrainian veterans in embarking upon a career in IT. Building Ukraine Together (BUR) is a Ukraine-based NGO reminiscent of Habitat for Humanity that rebuilds schools, community centers, and housing for internally displaced Ukrainians.

Yulia also described how Razom volunteers in the US and Ukraine jumped into action in February to galvanize a robust first aid response, bringing much-needed medical aid to the front lines and Ukrainian hospitals. A few days later, Yulia received another call from the foundation and was thrilled to learn that Razom would receive a $1M donation from Fox Rock Foundation. The foundation representative explained that they wanted to support Razom because it was an established organization with a long track record supporting Ukrainian causes. It had the infrastructure to process the donation efficiently and get help to Ukraine quickly.

Razom extends a heartfelt dyakuyu – thank you – to Fox Rock Foundation for their confidence and trust in Razom’s mission.

School of soft skills development. Summer camp for children of ukrainian defenders

Published: October 9, 2022

Society bears particular responsibility for a special category of children – children of Ukrainian defenders. This category of teenagers is outside the regular agenda of social and psychological projects, but they experience tremendous emotional tension caused by the war and family losses. Some of them have been experiencing war trauma since 2014. Against the backdrop of the war, Ukrainian teenagers are dealing with regular challenges of their age: immersing in the outside world, getting to know it, testing their capabilities in it, and figuring out a way to realize their potential.

The formation of healthy values shapes the capacity of the next generation to build a happy and prosperous future in Ukraine. Caring about the future of Ukraine, Razom fully sponsored a project called “School of soft skills development SSSD” designed and implemented by the Ukrainian NGO “ReSOURCE” and their team of experienced educators, psychologists, coaches, and activists.

From August 15 to 23, 2022, they organized a summer camp for teenagers from the families of Ukrainian soldiers who died defending their homes and those who continue fighting for peace and freedom on their land. Forty-six teenagers (12-16 yo) spent nine days at the sanatorium “Dibrova” in the Kyiv region. They had full board, attended workshops and excursions, and relaxed and socialized with peers.

Every participant got to learn how to:

assess their capacity for offline learning after almost two years of attending classes only online;
listen to each other and communicate productively;
work effectively in teams;
believe in themselves and inspire others;
share individual experiences;
respect and hold each other up.

Statistics of the 9-day program:

30 hours of studying;
20 hours of cultural and educational workshops;
6 hours of joint teamwork on self-started projects.

During the workshop “Ukrainian charms” on the first day of camp, the participants made patriotic guardian angel charms and bracelets. Some kids even made several charms to gift to their family and friends.

Soulful conversations and evenings together created unique emotions and joy that helped the teenagers get to know each other. They shared personal experiences and sang Ukrainian songs supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the Karaoke evening “Guess the Melody.”

Together drew the picture “Ukraine is all of us!”; presented short TikTok videos “Soft skills of teenagers”; and simply chatted while playing board games.

One of the days, they watched the movie “Miracle” and discussed the questions about the meaning of life, family, friendship, love, and, most importantly, choosing to do good at every stage of life.

Another day, during the English-speaking club, they developed a business project called “Around Ukraine.” Working in teams, the participants chose exciting places in Ukraine they’d like to visit with friends, developed the route, supplies, and marketing plans, and then presented their business plan in English.

Morning group exercises energized and prepared the participants for the daily workshops. Inspiring hikes along the Ros River and the Arboretum of Oleksandriia provided an opportunity to learn more about the history and culture of the place where these children grew up. During the breaks, they talked about the Victory and plans for the future.

During the whole stay at the camp, each participant had the opportunity to receive individual psychological support on the issues concerning them.

This help wasn’t imposed, but instead offered casually during daily life. At times, psychologists and coaches supervising the camp noticed the change in the mood, behavior, or unwillingness to partake in one task. They asked them questions, trying to get to the root of the problem and find a solution together.

These conversations addressed a variety of issues: concern for the fate and health of parents fighting at the front lines; parents’ divorce; social anxiety; struggling with self-presentation and self-expression; isolation (as a result of remote schooling); inner conflicts in teams; uncertainty in choosing a future career.

The coaches were thrilled to see the drive, enthusiasm, and openness to knowledge that teenagers took with them into the world, and the feedback was the most gratifying thing:

“Everyone has to experience this.”

“This is a school that prepares for real life.”

“I finally became myself.”

“Incredible project.”

The “ReSOURCE” team completed this project with great faith in Ukrainian youth and admiration for their capabilities, ideas, and desire to do great things for the country. After all, youth is the driving force of any society, and Razom and “ReSOURCE” are happy to help Ukrainian children grow.

The Razom Grants team aims to help local Ukrainian volunteer organizations to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the war.

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Additional donation options available at www.razomforukraine.org/donate

Razom Says Dyakuyu – Thank You – To Freedom Run London: A Charity Race to Support Freedom in Ukraine

Published: October 8, 2022

This post is part of our series Razom Says “Dyakuyu.” Dyakuyu means “thank you” in Ukrainian. Our work supporting Ukraine and getting humanitarian aid on the ground where it is needed most, would not be possible without the generous donors. With this series, we are highlighting some of the amazing donors and unique fundraisers that have supported Razom.

As Ukraine continues its fight, people from around the world are running to aid Razom’s humanitarian efforts. Sometimes they are even running the distance of a half-marathon – 13.1 miles, or 21 kilometers.

Razom wants to express deep appreciation to a group of volunteers that gathered in London to organize one such charity race in support of Ukraine and Razom’s work towards bringing victory closer. The “Freedom Run Homepage” race took place on July 31 in central London’s Hyde Park.

“Feeling as if you are not doing enough is now the new norm after a full-scale invasion,” said Freedom Run organizers Mykola and Oleksandra Kuzmenko. “Once the first wave of press coverage passes, and the media is no longer so eager to cover the ‘everyday’ of the war, it becomes clear that the threat of gradual oblivion creates additional dangers for the fight of the Ukrainian people.”

The London race was scheduled to take place at the five-month mark of russia’s continued invasion of an independent, sovereign Ukraine. As the organizers emphasized: “There is no denying that 24 February 2022 is a dark day in the history of the world. Ukraine is suffering from a full-scale unprovoked russian invasion, atrocities like that of Mariupol, Bucha and Irpin are still happening in peaceful Ukrainian cities”.

With the goal of keeping Ukraine in people’s hearts and minds, Mykola and Oleksandra proposed several different charitable organizations to which the donors and participants could contribute. Razom was selected as a humanitarian aid option and other potential beneficiaries were UACC (military), EMpower (youth support), and UNITED24 (an initiative launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy).

Oleksandra and Mykola’s meticulous planning resulted in great success.

There were “440 registered runners, of which about half were local — each with their own story, but one goal on that day,” the organizers said. Of $84,712 raised, $67,385 was directed to Razom’s Emergency Response project, which provides humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. See Freedom Run allocation report for a more detailed funds distribution on the Freedom Run webpage.

Razom and all the people who we’ve been able to support on the ground in Ukraine during the war say “dyakuyu” to the organizers and participants of Freedom Run London.