Wisconsin Ukrainians Gather Supplies For Humanitarian, Military Effort In Ukraine

WISCONSIN — After Russia's invasion of Ukraine shocked the world and brought destruction to Eastern Europe, a Wisconsin Facebook group is taking donations for the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.

Wisconsin Ukrainians, a Facebook group in the process of becoming a nonprofit organizations, invites residents to send donations of new clothes, new footwear and food to Illinois to be shipped to people in Ukraine.

In Appleton, the group held a supply drive to send to Chicago, where a Ukrainian logistics company flies supplies to Poland, group board member Olga Halaburda Hietpas told Wisconsin Public Radio. From Poland, humanitarian groups drive the supplies to Ukraine to disperse to people.

Wisconsin residents who want to help should buy items online and send them directly to Meest Shipping in Chicago, where it will be packaged and shipped with other donations, the group said in its donation directory.

Here's what items Wisconsin Ukrainians is looking for.

• New clothes
• New footwear
• Non-perishable food
• Hygiene products
• Blankets
• Bedding
• First aid kits

Here's The Obama Foundation List Of Charities For People In Ukraine

Fight For Right

Fight For Right, led by Yuliia Sachuk, coordinates accessible shelters, evacuations and emergency services for Ukrainians living with disabilities, the foundation said.

Hungarian Helsinki Committee

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee usually works with refugees with Hungary, but now the organization is focused on helping asylum seekers in Ukraine with free legal assistance.

Fundacja Ocalenie

This foundation supports migrants integrate in new societies and with their personal development, the organization said in its website. Currently, Fundacja Ocalenie is supporting African and Indian students halted at the border to Poland.

Polish Migration Forum

This organization is offering a free crisis hotline to help people affected by the war in Ukraine, including people who have fled the country, families worried about their children's well-being and people who have relatives in Ukraine and are feeling a sense of hopelessness, the Obama Foundation said.

See the full list of charities to Ukraine here.