September 2024
To be a prisoner of war is to be severed from everything you love … to have joy, health, and hope starved and beaten out of you. This is the torture an estimated 8,000 Ukrainian military and civilian prisoners of war are enduring. When asked what kept him going while in captivity for five years, John McCain explained that even when in solitary, you must find a way to remain connected to others–that he gained strength knowing he was not forgotten.
In a similar way, after 2.5 years of war, Ukrainian Defenders at the front lines feel isolated from their families and friends in the rear, and those civilians may feel as if the rest of the world has forgotten them. That is why it’s essential we continue to advocate on behalf of Ukraine. It is imperative that we do everything within our power, no matter how limited it may feel, to ensure Ukrainian Defenders and civilians know we stand with them.
In this issue, we share the story of Yurii Hulchuk, a POW who is recovering in Kyiv after 2.5 years in russian captivity. This newsletter also contains updates about supplies we delivered during August, current initiatives, upcoming events, containers, concerts, and a profile of one of our team members in Ukraine. Read on—or read no further and simply click ’Donate Now!’ to help us provide key medical, protective, tactical, and humanitarian aid to Ukrainian people today.
Let’s show Ukrainians we care! Let’s fuel their strength and resolve! Together we are stronger!
Natalie, Becky, Kyle, Andriy and all of us at
Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
Spread Seeds of Help!
P.S. Help us spread seeds of help and hope. Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested in supporting Ukraine in its fight on behalf of democracy and against autocracy.
YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK: AUGUST 2024
During the month of August, we provided we provided 351 Ukrainian defenders with: 112 individual first aid kits (including tourniquets, chest seals ...), 402 protective equipment items (knee pads, earmuffs...), 449 tactical gear items (vests, backpacks, canteens...), 391 uniform components (including boots and hats), 89 optical devices (binoculars and others), 7 other special items (solar panels, oxygen concentrators...). In high demand were boots, backpacks, binoculars, hydrators and water filters. Infinite thanks to our donors all over the world for your continued support! Your contributions are what keeps the supplies flowing where they are needed most.
PROTECT THE HEARING OF UKRAINIAN DEFENDERS!
The current goal of the "Protect a Defender!" project is to get 150 electronic earmuffs to Ukrainians at the front lines by the end of October. Each contribution of just $100 will protect 5 defenders from unconsciousness, nausea, and the loss of hearing and speech, all typical of a post-concussion syndrome caused by heavy fighting and loud explosions (a.k.a. "shell shock"). The electronic earmuffs will be purchased in bulk directly from the manufacturer, saving thousands of dollars. Previous phases of the project focused on safety goggles, knee/elbow pads, working gloves, and other personal protective equipment. Help us save the ears of Ukrainian defenders by clicking “Donate to Protect!”
JOIN US AT AN UPCOMING EVENT!
Every month of the year, there are many opportunities to help Ukraine, meet like-minded supporters and celebrate Ukrainian culture. In October, you can join us at four events:
On Saturday, October 12 (8 a.m.-1 p.m.), at the Boulder County Farmers Market in Longmont
On Saturday, October 19 (8 a.m.-2 p.m.), at the Boulder County Farmers Market in Boulder
On October 19 (10 a.m.-1 p.m), for our next Solar Panel Conversion Event at Fairview High School in Boulder
On Saturday, October 26 (11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.), at New Image Brewing in Wheat Ridge for a popup where Austin will be selling his famous “beer cakes” and spreading the word to fine-ale appreciating activists.
More details are available on the Events Page on our website.
PALLETS LOADED AND CONTAINER SHIPPED
In mid-September, 30 volunteers gathered at a warehouse in Aurora (Colorado) to pack tons (literally) of boots, uniforms, backpacks, medical supplies, knee pads, and other indispensable gear for Ukrainian Defenders. At day’s end, more than 40 pallets of protective equipment and tactical gear were ready to be loaded into a 40-foot container. They are now on their long journey to Ukraine, which will involve transportation by ship, rail, and two trucks. In just over a month, the container will be unloaded by our team members in western Ukraine, and distributed to those who most need help across the frontline. A big thanks to volunteers who helped with the pallet packing, and immense gratitude to our donors who make this aid possible! If you’d like to watch some videos of the pallet packing and container loading, click on the links above, or visit our Youtube channel (and please remember to subscribe for updates while you are there).
DAKHABRAKHA ENERGIZES BOULDER
Back in May, when Sunflower Seeds Ukraine Volunteer Ulana Bihun heard that DakhaBrakha were coming to perform in Boulder on September 15, she contacted the Boulder Theater to ask if Sunflower Seeds Ukraine could have a presence at the event. The theater not only said yes–they generously invited Sunflower Seeds Ukraine (SFSU) to co-host the event with KGNU.
From the moment DakhaBrakha frontman Marko opened with “Good evening, we are DakhaBrakha from FREE Ukraine!”, the air was filled with energy. Driving rhythms, ethereal voices, and a cacophony of bird sounds cast a powerful and somber yet positive energy over the more than 800-person crowd. A screen above the stage showed animations that helped everyone understand the meaning of the lyrics, including scenes of everyday life for Ukrainian Defenders. To close out the show, DakhaBrakha conducted a raucous and entertaining musical auction for two special band-related paintings and well-used drumsticks, that raised several thousand dollars for Ukraine.
Throughout the show, a team of SFSU volunteers including Ave, Oscar, Cyndi, Katya, Phil and Patrick engaged supporters with interesting conversation and their heartfelt dedication. Thank you to Cyndi for donating the sales of her Ukraine-themed jewelry, which always draws a crowd and helps us raise critical funds. And, of course, a huge shout out to Boulder Theater and DakhaBrakha for allowing us to be part of such an energizing event.
We attend, host and collaborate on many events, but this one stands out as one of the most moving and memorable in a while. Stay up to date with events by frequently checking the Events Page on our website.
TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: ANASTASIYA YAKYMOVYCH
Meet Anastasiya—a member of our volunteer team on the ground in the northwestern city of Rivne, Ukraine. A document organizer by profession, Anastasiya helps Sunflower Seeds Ukraine with the all-important paperwork that’s needed to ensure donations and supplies can be imported into Ukraine, and that they get where they need to go. She also works as a liaison, helping to communicate with Defenders and other aid recipients.
Anastasiya, who is originally from a small, picturesque village close to the border with Belarus, says: “Many of my fellow villagers, classmates, relatives and acquaintances” are currently risking their lives to protect Ukraine “from the enemy who came with war to our native land.” Her work for Sunflower Seeds Ukraine feels meaningful, because it meets a wide variety of Defenders’ needs, better equipping them for the challenges they face on the frontlines, while supporting “their fighting spirit, which brings us all closer to Ukraine’s victory.”
Two and a half years into this war, Anastasiya hopes people in the United States and the international community reflect on what it represents—”the struggle between authoritarianism and democracy”—and the broader “geopolitical, economic and social consequences, not only in Ukraine, but also at the world level.”
To read more about Anastasiya, 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: UKRAINIAN POWS RETURN AFTER YEARS OF CAPTIVITY
Over the past month, a series of prisoner swaps have led to the release of more than 100 Ukrainian POWs. The vast majority of the freed Ukranians had been held in captivity since the start of the war, when they were captured while defending key cities such as Mariupol and Kyiv.
But with the return of the soldiers to their homeland also came horrific stories of violence and torture at the hands of the russian invaders. One of the released captives, Yurii Hulchuk, was immediately rushed to a Kyiv hospital upon his return. Completely despondent and unable to eat or speak on his own, it took three days of intensive care treatment before Yurii recognized his own mother’s face.
Yurii was captured more than two and a half years ago, in April 2022, during the siege of Mariupol. In a recent interview with a Ukrainian news outlet, he described the abuse he endured while a captive, including starvation, beatings and being forced to stand for 16 hours a day until ulcers formed on his legs.
Yurii’s story is not unique: He is just one of 3,672 Ukrainians who have been brought back from russian captivity across 57 exchanges since the start of the war. As of January 2024, Ukrainian authorities estimate a total of 8,000 Ukrainians, both military and civilian, are being held captive in Russia. Read more on our blog.
Sources: United24; Kyiv Independent; Reuters
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/X, 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.
*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.
