HELP US PURCHASE ESSENTIAL RAIN GEAR
Fall and spring in Ukraine are notoriously wet and cold. While mud seasons slow down and even strand mechanized military campaigns, Ukrainian counteroffensive operations can continue on foot, but that requires appropriate rain gear. The rain suits Ukrainian Defenders are issued cannot be worn over bulletproof vests and other gear that gets wet, so we fundraise to be able to purchase rain ponchos and tarps that are not on the list of standard gear. Other big needs are high-quality waterproof boots and rain jackets. To date, we have supplied 497 ponchos and tarps, 542 rain and snow suits and 584 pairs of tactical boots. This campaign’s goal is to raise $6,000, so that we can provide our Defenders with 100 ponchos, 100 rain tarps, 100 rain suits, and 100 pairs of waterproof boots. “Donate Now” to help us provide this essential equipment.
What does your donation buy? $50 provides 1 rain jacket or pants; $100 provides 2 pairs of waterproof boots; $200 provides 10 rain ponchos or tarps. Yes, good gear is expensive, but don’t let these numbers scare you: Even a $50 or a $20 donation helps achieve our goal.
Purchasing power and know-how: We are able to get the rain gear to Ukrainian defenders as efficiently as possible, by avoiding many procurement and logistical pitfalls. We purchase used military ORC or Gore-Tex rain suits in the USA and deliver them to our team members in Europe by airline traveler volunteers. There, they are combined with rain tarps and other gear purchased in Poland or Germany and transported to our distribution point near Rivne in western Ukraine. The rain ponchos are shipped straight from a manufacturing facility in China to Ukraine by a private company. The rain boots are manufactured by a small business in Ukraine, which has the added benefit of supporting the local economy.
How are the supplies distributed? We receive and process requests for aid through a simple electronic form on our web page. Each request is vetted by our team members in western Ukraine. From western Ukraine, some supplies are distributed at our aid center to soldiers that are back from the front lines for a brief respit, or to those about to be deployed from the training centers to the battlefields. Other packages are delivered to the front lines in the hottest war zones by minivans carrying other humanitarian aid, or by Nova Poshta postal service that operates in the near-front-line towns.
