The Russian-Ukrainian crisis has displaced millions of Ukrainian men, women and children. Refugees are relocating to various neighboring countries like Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Humanitarian aid for Ukraine has spiked with donations from the United States and several European countries. Southern Utah University students who want to help Ukrainians have many ways they can provide assistance.
Donations
One of the best ways for college students to help Ukrainians is to donate to non-profit organizations and humanitarian efforts which send supplies and goods to refugees around the world. Some of these charities include Solight, World Central Kitchen, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Amazon.
Solight is a company that creates collapsible and eco-friendly solar lanterns. Donations will help with the making and distribution of light sources to refugees.
WCK, partnering with Ukrainian restaurants, provides hot meals for families in Ukraine as well as for the Ukrainian refugee families in nearby countries. Donations will be used to provide more food and to keep feeding families in need.
The UNHCR is a refugee agency of the United Nations. It partners alongside various other charities and companies to provide food, shelter and other supplies to refugee families. Donations will provide shelter against the winter snow and storms for Ukrainian families currently on the run.
Amazon, a popular online shopping site for SUU students, has been partnering with American Red Cross, Save the Children and other charity organizations to assist Ukraine in material items and cybersecurity.
Countless other humanitarian organizations can be found and are accepting contributions online through charity sites, news articles and social media posts. It is recommended that students check the credibility of organizations before donating.
Media
It is also important for SUU students to stay up to date on Russian-Ukrainian activity. Doing so can help students know in what ways they can show their support to those in need.
Many news channels and social media accounts provide information and service opportunities regularly. For example, the UNHCR shares information on refugee activity on their Twitter account.
It is also recommended to support and donate to Ukrainian journalists and social media influencers. Many individuals risk their lives every day to provide footage and photographs of the activity within the Ukrainian borders and showing support through following and donating helps them to continue sharing the information they can give.
Community
A final way for Southern Utah University’s students to help is to show support and diplomacy to the people within their own community. At least 615 current SUU students are from countries outside of the United States.
“No matter what world leaders are doing, everyone here is part of the SUU Family,” Jamie Orton, director of the International Student and Scholar Services from SUU’s International Affairs department, said. “Students have a lot more in common than they might realize. I think the best way to support one another is to remember this, be respectful, communicate with kindness and remember that all are welcome here.”
Article by: Andrea Rodgers
Photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
