I know I’m not alone when I say that I can’t stop thinking about the war in Ukraine and all of the suffering the Ukrainian people are experiencing now.
Two weeks ago, my friend Adrienne Fawcett let me know that two local women were conducting a supply drive at Lake Forest’s Gorton Community Center for Ukraine–Anna Belova and Areta Hladky Verschoor (a yoga instructor at LF Rec and at Gorton). The drive was incredibly successful, but they are now asking the community to donate to UMANA (Ukrainian Medical Associates of America), a 501(c)3 organization that has boots on the ground in Ukraine and are sending donated medical aid as often as they can.
Areta shared the name of this organization with me. She has partnered with them as she continues to work to support the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. “My parents are from Ukraine and many of my relatives on my mother’s side still live there,” she says. “I’m a proud Ukrainian American that has always kept our heritage alive. I’m still very active in the Ukrainian Chicago community and am fluent in the Ukrainian language, as are my children. So this war has been very heavy on our hearts. As you can imagine, I couldn’t sit back and just watch.”
To learn more about UMANA or to make a donation, click here.
