April 2024
Dear Friends of Ukraine,
Relief. When the U.S.House of Representatives finally passed the long-stalled aid package for Ukraine, which was approved by the Senate and signed by the President, I felt not joy but relief. Like many of you, my faith in the American government’s commitment to democracy and international leadership had been waning and fear for Ukraine’s future building. This was the first time in months that a ray of optimism broke through. Though just a ray, it provided the energy I needed to sit down and write this newsletter—and there’s a lot to share because so much has happened since our last update.
The mood among the Sunflower Seeds Ukraine team is cautiously optimistic. The $60 billion aid package is a lot of money, but the tools it provides are just tools. Machines don’t win wars, people do. The skill and determination of Ukrainian Defenders have and will continue to be the determining factor. Our collective commitment to help them stay alive and safe at the front lines will help fuel their determination. Thank you for your continued support.
Read on to learn about the aid we’ve recently delivered to Ukrainian Defenders and civilians, events we’ve hosted and attended, and how the evolving front line situation has inspired timely initiatives focused on drone jammers and on supplies for paramedics.
Please tell your friends, family, and colleagues about Sunflower Seeds Ukraine, and share this newsletter with anyone who wants to help Ukraine put an end to russian aggression.
Let’s show Ukraine our support! Together we are stronger!
Natalie and all of us at
Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
Spread Seeds of Help!
P.S. Please share this newsletter and other information about Sunflower Seeds Ukraine at the bottom of this email with friends, family, colleagues and others who are looking for ways to help
YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK: JANUARY-MARCH 2024
From January 1 through March 31, 2024, Sunflower Seeds Ukraine has delivered to front line Defenders and Medics: 520 individual first aid kits (including tourniquets, hemostatics, bandages, etc.); 650 pieces of protective equipment (such as electronic earmuffs, water filters, and knee and elbow pads); 3,515 uniform components (plus 2,500 hand and foot warmers); 1,404 pieces of tactical gear (such as chest rigs, tactical pouches); 56 optical devices, and 14 other items (laptops, tablets, heaters), together worth $78,630.12. These deliveries were made possible by funds raised during the 2023 Holiday Giving Campaign, thanks to our supporters from around the world!
CURRENT PROJECT: GIVE SUPPLIES TO UKRAINIAN PARAMEDICS!
Did you know that most of the deaths at the battlefield, such as massive hemorrhage and tension pneumothorax, can be prevented by appropriate pre-hospital paramedic care? Tragically, paramedics in Ukraine often lack appropriate supplies to perform their functions.
The goal of our new Paramedic Project is to provide paramedics with the specialty medical supplies they need to save lives of wounded Defenders while evacuating them from the battlefield:
$150 provides a stretcher and a thermal blanket
$300 provides a junctional tourniquet to stop critical bleeding
$600 provides a fully stocked medical backpack
$800 provides IO bone access kit when IV is not possible
$1,000 provides a non-explosive oxygen concentrator
Click here to help a Ukrainian Medic today!
EVENTS: DEFEND UKRAINIAN DEFENDERS BREAKFAST PANEL
At rallies and other events, it seems we never have enough time to really connect with members of our community. So, earlier this year, we decided it was time to host an event that created space for conversation and dialogue.
On April 11, at the “Defend Ukrainian Defenders Breakfast Panel,” that goal came to fruition. The sold-out event, which drew 80 attendees, featured speakers like John Spencer, a renown retired Army Major, combat veteran, military analyst, and urban warfare expert who provided insight into the realities on Ukrainian battlefields. Dedicated Ukrainian activist and frontline volunteer Ron Carter talked about his five trips to Ukraine and motivated the audience to actively engage in effecting live-saving change for Ukrainian Defenders through political action and fundraising. Two Ukrainian Defenders who help guide our work called in from the front lines to tell us about how drone warfare impacts their realities daily. And Sunflower Seeds Ukraine co-founder Andriy Zaakutayev explained how we adapt our fundraising, supply chain and distribution strategies to meet the evolving needs of Ukrainian Defenders, including the most recent focus on the Drone Jammers. To read more about the event and the presenters, visit the event web page.
Thank you to all who participated in the breakfast! We are thrilled to be able to report that thanks to you and many supporters from across the country we met our 20 Drone Jammers fundraising goal ahead of schedule. Drone jammers are like invisible electronic shields that protect against attacks by strike drones, similar to how armor vests protect against bullets. These electronic devices block operation of strike drones by disabling their video communication channel with the operator. Jammers can be mounted on evacuation and resupply vehicles, or they can protect paramedics while providing first aid to wounded Defenders in the field. To learn more about why drone jammers are important and how they work, click on this link. Every additional $1,000 we raise can deliver one more drone jammer to a unit on the front lines, which can save 6-12 lives multiple times.
RALLIES: WAR ANNIVERSARY RALLY FOR UKRAINE
On Saturday, February 24, hundreds of Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine rallied at Denver’s capitol to show their support for Ukraine.
The event, hosted by Ukrainians of Colorado, drew more participants than the prior year’s event, but the mood was markedly more somber. The loss of Avdiivka one week prior was fresh in our minds and, as one speaker told the crowd, the loss of that city after more than 10 years of resistance served “... as an example of what lies ahead if America does not supply the relevant and proportional arms and ammunition to Ukraine.” All those in attendance on the 24th drew solace and strength from one another, as community leaders, immigrants and politicians encouraged us to continue to stand behind and support Ukraine and its citizens. And with your support, Sunflower Seeds Ukraine was able to mark the anniversary by providing yet another 100 individual first aid kits (IFAKs)–worth $10,000–to Ukrainian Defenders. Thank you!
SFSU TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: PHIL PEPALIS
Meet Phil–one of our most active and most proactive volunteers. When there’s an event to attend, he’s there. If medical supplies need to be picked up in a hurry, Phil makes the time. And if there’s heavy lifting to do in preparation for a container-packing project, Phil steps right up. And he never fails to show up for our weekly coordinationn meetings. In short, Phil is the kind of volunteer everyone wants on their team.
When asked how SFSU is different from other non-profits that help Ukraine, Phil says, “I believe what sets us apart is the fact that we are small, agile, and we have an extensive network in Europe and throughout Ukraine. We are set up to send what is requested by the Defenders,” says Phil.” Our ability to directly support Defenders resonates with Phil. “As a veteran, I feel it is a moral obligation to help others enjoy the freedoms I have been gifted.”
To read more about Phil and the genesis of his commitment to supporting Ukrainian Defenders, go to our Patreon page, where we post longer profiles of our team members from around the world. There, you also can find exclusive behind-the-scenes videos that show how we get supplies where they’re needed and interviews with recipients of our aid at the front lines.
NEWS FROM UKRAINE: 2024
The first quarter of 2024 has been an intense one. On February 8, Zelensky replaced troop-favorite Valerii Zaluzhnyi with Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ten days later, the Ukrainian army, under threat of being encircled, withdrew from Avdiivka. Throughout the year, Ukrainian Defenders have held the line, even though their shells are being rationed in anticipation of a June russian offensive. russia has been ruthlessly attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, civilian targets, and is using phosphorus and chemical weapons on soldiers in trenches, where they cannot escape lest attack drones take them out. Even as russia violated one international rule after another, American decision-makers let politics get in the way of providing life-saving financial aid–a delay that put amazing pressure on Ukraine and cost thousands of Ukrainian lives.
The barrage of tragedies cast a shadow over recent Ukrainian military successes, which have been many: Ukraine has disabled more than a third of russia’s Black Sea fleet using sea drones; it also has inflicted heavy damage to more than a dozen oil refineries as deep as 560 miles into russia, causing a 10 percent decrease in production capability; and anti-kremlin military units made up of russian volunteers have engaged russian forces in border regions in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts. Such successes in the face of dwindling US aid and increased russian aggression are a testament to the will of the Ukrainian people, the dedication of Ukraine’s Defenders, and its military ingenuity.
While much of the $60 billion in US aid that was just passed is expected to make its way to the Ukrainian front lines in increments, knowing that the ammunition and artillery are on their way will allow Ukraine to immediately release the artillery shells it has been rationing. Yes, the aid should have come sooner, but just imagine how we’d feel right now had the aid package not passed this week. Our American system of governance may be on the brink right now, but our country still has some leaders and the economic might to turn a tide that at this time last week was feeling ominously like a riptide.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested, or use this form to subscribe or unsubscribe. The web version of this and all previous newsletters is here. For more frequent updates about our work, please like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our Youtube channel and Patreon page, browse our website for multiple ways to donate, or send us an email if you have any questions. Last but not least, we appreciate your feedback: please fill out this brief survey to tell us a bit more about your impression of Sunflower Seeds Ukraine!
*Misspelling and lower-casing proper names in this newsletter are intentional and used as signs of disdain and disrespect. Similarly, uppercasing of words such as Defenders are intentional and used as signs of respect and appreciation.
Note: Sunflower Seeds Ukraine raises funds as an initiative of Ukrainians of Colorado, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations and gifts are tax deductible to the full extent allowed under IRS regulations and the U.S. law.
