How to help religious groups supporting people in Ukraine
Organizations around the world are collecting donations to support Ukraine while Russia continues its invasion.
If you’ve been wondering what you can do to help the people of Ukraine, here is a list of religious or religiously-affiliated organizations, including Faith Counts partners, that are working to support Ukrainians right now.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency
ADRA is scaling-up operations to deploy humanitarian assistance for children and families displaced by the war in Ukraine. The relief agency has launched a fundraising campaign to strengthen programs for refugees from Ukraine and other global communities.
Aid to the Church in Need
The international Catholic pastoral aid organization has committed 1 million euros in emergency help to support the work of the church in Ukraine, according to its website. This grant will go to supporting 4,879 priests and religious brothers and 1,350 religious sisters in Ukraine to enable them to continue pastoral and outreach programs.
Catholic Near East Welfare Association
CNEWA is working closely with Caritas Ukraine on humanitarian support in Ukraine, including setting up field kitchens and providing medical, spiritual, and psychological help. “The story is changing by the hour. But what we cannot change is our deep commitment to help innocent people whose lives are in danger,” reads the website.
Catholic Relief Services
CRS, partnering with Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of Catholic relief and service organizations across the world, is working to respond to the invasion of Ukraine. On the ground, according to their website, they are preparing shelters, food, hygiene supplies, fuel, transport, and counseling in Ukraine and in nearby countries. Internationally, donations can be sent to Caritas Internationalis.
Cru Ukrainian Missionaries
As Cru missionaries have been caught in the middle of an active war zone, many have been forced to flee their homes. Some families are seeking to relocate out of harm’s way within Ukraine while others are seeking to leave the country. Some have been called up to serve in the military. Cru has over 120 national staff members in Ukraine. Some are able to leave the country, some are not. Some are determined to stay and preach the gospel. And as people flee the country, missionaries in the surrounding areas are preparing to receive them. Cru staff teams across Europe are mobilizing to help our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.
HIAS
In a statement released Feb. 24, the Jewish refugee service HIAS said that their “worst fears were realized overnight” as conflict in Ukraine escalated. HIAS states their first priority is the safety of the Right to Protect staff—a group that has aided refugees and displaced persons for nearly 10 years. They also note in the statement they are exploring partnerships with Jewish community organizations and more in nearby countries in order to provide refugee assistance.
Hillel International Emergency Relief Fund
You can support Jewish students, professionals, and their families by ensuring Hillel has the critical resources to be there for students and young adults during and after the crisis. Funds will be used to support immediate, short-term, and long-term needs, including: critical supplies like food, water, and medicine for Jewish refugees between the ages of 18-36, as well as mental health support and counseling, emergency cash assistance to support Hillel professionals and their families who have been displaced and/or left without homes, temporary housing for Jewish students and young adults displaced by the conflict.
Islamic Relief
While the worldwide humanitarian organization doesn’t have a program in Ukraine or neighboring countries, it has identified partners on the ground to work with to provide humanitarian aid. “As the crisis escalates and the need for aid such as food, water and healthcare grows, Islamic Relief will step up to support people affected by the violence,” said Ismayil Tahmazov, Islamic Relief’s head of region.
Latter-day Saint Charities
The charity began to move humanitarian aid into place around Ukraine weeks before Russia invaded and will continue to provide relief in the region until the conflict is over, according to the organization’s president, Sister Sharon Eubank, who also serves as first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church’s charity has provided sleeping bags, cots, tents, and other supplies to local governments, the Red Cross, and other groups helping Ukrainian refugees who are arriving in bordering countries.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
LIRS released a press statement saying that a full Russian invasion of Ukraine could produce between 1 million to 5 million refugees. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the refugee resettlement nonprofit, said, “As the world’s humanitarian leader, the U.S. should do everything in its power to help its closest allies as they welcome Ukrainians seeking safe haven.” The group, along with other international humanitarian groups, has asked President Biden to prepare to welcome Ukrainians into the country.
Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Relief
The organization founded by evangelist Franklin Graham said it has sent a disaster assistance response team to Europe to learn how the organization can help with refugees. The organization also wrote on its Ukraine-specific donation page that it has ministry partners in Ukraine that it has been in contact with to see how they can continue to assist.
Send Relief
A joint project of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board and North American Mission board, Send Relief is working through local churches in Poland and Ukraine to provide food, shelter, and other humanitarian assistance.
Slavic Christian Ministries
This organization has been assisting orphaned children, addicts in drug rehabilitation centers, and the mission of churches in Ukraine for 21 years. Eight employees of the Colorado Springs-based nondenominational evangelical agency live in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The Rev. Ronald Putnam is the organization’s president. With new developments unfolding daily, Putnam is unsure how his ministry’s work in evangelism, education, and medical needs will fare going forward. The organization’s board recently voted to funnel donations directly to refugees, he said.
Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
Archeparchy leadership released a statement asking for support for their humanitarian aid fund for Ukraine. “We know and believe that the war will end soon, but it will take a lot of effort and resources to restore everything,” the statement reads. Donations are being accepted via PayPal, check, or in person.
World Jewish Relief
The organization, which has 29 partners across Ukraine, says it will use donations to meet pressing humanitarian needs, including food, cash, medical, material, and psychological support for those fleeing their homes or unable to escape.
World Vision International
The evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization released a statement saying that children are the worst affected by the crisis in Ukraine. The organization is preparing plans to work with partners on the ground to provide emergency relief to children and families.
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