Weathering a storm.

I was born and raised in Georgia, so the thought of snow has always been something that excites the internal child in me.  But, if you’re from the South (especially from Georgia), you know the threat of even a dusting of snow means most folks rush to the grocery store, stocking up on extra milk, bread, and eggs, “just in case”. 

But what if the impetus to gather food wasn’t Mother Nature sprinkling white dust on the ground?  What if the threat was a tidal wave of hatred and violence, hell-bent on cutting off your access, not only for food, but also for basic essentials – heat, electricity, medicine? 

What would you do – what would I do – if the threat was a direct attack on our family, our community, our way of life?

It seems hard to conceptualize, doesn’t it?  To imagine fighting for our lives on our own soil.  Starving in our own backyard.  It’s audacious.

But that is the reality of the Ukrainian people. 

There are those who have chosen to stay in Ukraine and be lifeboats against this tidal wave of evil, and there are those who have no choice but to stay because they are trapped.  And both need our help.

That is one reason we have partnered with Pastor Igor Buben in Lublin, Poland.  Since Day 1 of the war, this Ukrainian-born father of two, has focused solely on meeting the immediate needs of Ukrainian refugees and those displaced in Ukraine. 

Over the last 3 weeks we have purchased 6 TONS of food and, with the help of Igor’s network of volunteers, this food has been successfully transported across the border to people in hard hit areas in the Donbas region. 

Each week, 2 tons of food is purchased for $4,000 USD, loaded into carrier vans or trucks, off-loaded to a donation location inside Ukraine, divided and packaged into individual bags, and dispersed to people in desperate need of food.  On average, 2 tons of food will feed 800+ families for roughly 2 days.

Each ounce of food is more than just physical sustenance, it is a tangible representation of hope.  A direct lifeline to those trying to stay afloat against this tidal wave of violence.

So, thank you for continuing to support our efforts here.  Your dollars are life saving and hope giving. Providing a lifeboat to weather this storm a little longer.