Palos Park Church Collecting Items To Help Ukrainian Refugees

LOCKPORT, IL — As the war in Ukraine continues to cause devastation and that has forced residents to flee their homeland, a parishioner at a Palos Park church is teaming with the City Lockport in spearheading an effort to send medical supplies and other items to help refugees.

Donna Nevels, who belongs to St. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has partnered with the City of Lockport and the Will County Board to spearhead the collection effort. Several items —such as gauze, sterile wipes, bandages, pain relievers, eye drops, backpacks along with toiletries — are being collected this week at the Lockport City Hall gym.

The items will be collected through Friday and will be sent to Poland, where the items can be then taken to Ukraine and distributed among those in need. For Nevels, attending a church where 90-95 percent of the members have immigrated from Ukraine has made the need for items more than evident.

She said that when she sees her fellow parishioners at services, they are all very subdued as they converse in their native tongue about the conditions back in Ukraine. Even though she can't understand what they are saying, she said the looks on their faces make it clear what they are going through.

"They are not the same people they were a month ago," Nevels told Patch on Tuesday. "Their whole attitude has changed, their demeanor has changed because of everything that is going on."

She added: "It is what it is. We're just trying to help in any way we can ...just by helping 10 families in Ukraine, they may not be families from our church, but they're all Ukrainian and they are all in need."

The church's priest and his wife, along with most of the Ukrainian members, remain in contact with their families in Ukraine, Nevels said.

Items will be collected from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the City Hall gym, which is located at 222 E. 9th St. Organizers are asking that no clothing or food be donated as part of the effort. In just one day, just the Lockport drop-off center has received more than 1,000 backpacks, loads of medical supplies, and other items such as crayons, coloring books, diapers, blankets, and other items.

Will County Board member and Lockport Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Annette Parker said that several other board members are collecting items in their areas, but that all of the collected items will be brought to Lockport to be shipped by the church.

The items will be loaded up on a truck on Saturday and then driven to New Jersey, where they will be put on a plane and sent to Poland.

"This is a very, very good thing that is coming together," Nevels told Patch. "It warms my heart. What do you say? It's outstanding that so many people are so anxious to help because people are so angry this is going on and (about) the reason this is going on.

"For this to be 2022 and this type of thing goes back to the 1930s and 40s, it's crazy and I think people want to help and this is one way they can help."