Activists take part in a June 2019 Equality March in central Kyiv. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)

A few weeks ago, MECA Events Coordinator Penny Rosenwasser told me that her friends Luba Yusim and Sophia Sobko were raising funds for people they know personally and others in Ukraine, What’s more, Penny told me that they received so much more than they asked for that they decided that “in solidarity with others who are in immediate crisis due to war, we will direct the remaining 50% of any funds raised above $10,380 to specified organizations providing war relief in the Global South (Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania).

They just sent MECA a $2,000 donation to bring assistance to Palestinian and Syrian refugees.

The majority of funds will go to some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine, including Luba’s elderly aunt and uncle who are too frail to leave their home in Odessa, an LGBT shelter, and “through friends and friends of friends we’ve connected with organizers who desperately need money to buy supplies, food medicine, and help transport people to the Polish and Moldovan borders for safety.”

Luba and Sophia write:
More than three decades ago our families fled the former Soviet Union, leaving behind their friends, relatives, and communities. They did this because the possibility of raising us, their children and grandchildren, under the constant threat of war, political instability, and antisemitism was too great to bear. While we honor their sacrifices, our hearts break for our friends, loved ones, and others who are now living amidst the realities of Russian aggression, yet another instance of global colonial and imperial violence.

You can find out more on Luba and Sophia’s GoFundMe page Support elders & families under threat in Ukraine

So many individuals, small businesses, and community groups have raised funds for MECA’s work over the years. Please support their efforts when you can and check out other stories of fundraisers in MECA’s newsletters and annual reports.