While Russia and Ukraine seem at a crossroads in the news yet no closer to peace, there is one constant in the lives of many Ukrainians since the war began four years ago – a team of New Hampshire people show up delivering food and toys for children and hope for the future.
The Common Man for Ukraine team — Lisa Mure, Alex Ray, Susan Mathison and Steve Rand, Plymouth Rotarians — recently returned from from their 14th humanitarian mission to the Ukraine. The mission also sponsors respite child trauma counseling retreats in Poland for 35 children a month whose fathers have died in the war, and for the first time the team visited this month a retreat for 16 widows of the war.
“The December trips are special because of the holidays,” said Lisa Mure, “so we wore Santa hats when we were delivering food and gifts for the children in the southeast corner of the Ukraine down near the front.”
Filling bags with food for a Ukrainian woman during the recent humanitarian mission
Not a lot of aid groups are willing to go in that region because of the danger, Mure said, adding: “It was nice. We sang Christmas Carols and they do know ‘Jingle Bells.’ They did sing along and got a lot of really big strong hugs.”
“They’re just so grateful they’ve not been forgotten and that we brought food. Even beyond the food they are so amazed that we come all the way from America to just bring them some sustenance and little bit of fun and comfort so it was really great,” Mure said.
There was a lot of war action while they were there this trip and that could have made it more frightening.
“We’ve become like the Ukrainians. You just get used to it,” she said.
At a store buying some bags, they asked some young people who were helping them translate what it was like living with war. Do they worry every night?
“They just shrug and say, ‘It is what it is. There is nothing we can do. We go on with our lives.’ That’s the sort of thinking we’ve embraced as well. You don’t stop living,” Mure said. “That is very Ukrainian. They don’t wallow in misery. They don’t feel sorry for themselves.”
The volunteers handed out Beanie Babies donated by people in New Hampshire and Peace Dolls that were made by the Laconia Community Church women’s group, and thousands of knitted hats from around the state and country.
Common Man for Ukraine volunteers sing “Jingle Bells” with children between 8 and 12 at the trauma counseling retreat for children whose fathers were killed in the war.
The trip started in Poland where they visited the child trauma counseling retreat for 35 children between the ages of 8 and 12 whose fathers were killed in the war. They handed out candy, Beanie Babies, Peace Dolls, solar lanterns and sang Christmas Carols.
The team also visited for the first time a widow’s retreat for women whose husbands were killed in the war. Lure was surprised by one mother’s comment about the retreat for her child.
“She said, ‘my child got to eat breakfast with an American.’ It was really cool,” Mure said.
Ukrainian children open presents, including hand-knit hats, from New Hampshire and across the country at the counseling retreat.
Alex Ray, owner of the Common Man restaurants whose idea helped launch the Common Man for Ukraine project, said what struck him during this latest mission was the older women and how happy they were to get help they badly need. The men are at war so you mostly see women and children, Ray said.
“They are so alone and old and sad,” but grateful for the food they receive and the hugs from caring volunteers, he said.
On this trip a filmmaker came along to shoot a mini documentary of their work, Ray said.
The group all compliment the local volunteers. Many of them are Polish Rotarians who drive the convoys filled with food for those in the remote villages.
Their volunteer convoy crossed into the Ukraine on Dec. 12 and 15 trucks delivered 44,000 pounds of food to 18 villages in Eastern Ukraine. They also provided several tons of additional supplies, including more than 4,000 handmade knit hats from New Englanders and knitters across America and more than 6,000 holiday presents for the kids
All in all, this convoy provided food, supplies, and cheer to more than 10,000 people in those villages. And the team returned home to New Hampshire days before Christmas.
Santa and helpers filling bags with food in war-torn Ukraine.
Susan Mathison said it may look like she, Mure, Ray and Rand are the faces of the humanitarian effort but it really is the work of thousands of people across the country and New Hampshire who donate to make the missions happen.
“Once you start this work and see the situation, it is impossible to look away,” Mathison said, and the thousands of people waiting in need. “You can’t say, ‘I’m tired. I’m scared.” The people are waiting, and need food and sleeping bags and have an “overwhelming ocean of need.”
“Thousands of Americans send the money trusting us to help the Ukrainians,” Mathison said.
Now for the group just days after returning, the fundraising continues to support mission number 15 that will begin in March.
More information about donating to Common Man for Ukraine can be obtained at commonmanforukraine.org/donate.