Let’s not wait until this is at our doorstep

It’s been a while since we have posted anything new, and I felt it was time to speak up. The past week has been the most indescribable. Guilt, heartbreak, helplessness. All things I feel as Willie and I sit here in a comfortable, safe, warm place while those in Ukraine live in fear.

We have spoken to many of our past volunteers, all of whom have been forced to flee their homes. The first city we visited in Ukraine back in 2016 was Kharkiv. Just 4 days ago, it was heavily bombed and 2 of our volunteers had their homes destroyed. One of them just messaged me today and said his hands were still shaking.

Others who have stayed are now spending most of their time in bomb shelters. Food, supplies, and medicine are running low or becoming unaffordable.

I want you now to think about the children that are still there. The children that our charity supports. Many orphaned, masked up, and isolated for the past 2 years, now sleeping in bomb shelters. All in harm’s way. How will their minds form after all this? What will their worldview become? And Is there anything we can do now to steer them away from a mindset filled with uncertainty, fear, and hate? We should really think about it. These children will be a part of the future world your children live in.

Many may still not think that this is important. That it’s just about Ukraine and has nothing to do with us. That it can never come to our doorstep. But we now live in a highly connected world where one minor conflict can quickly lead to something much more significant. It may be unimaginable since it has never happened in our lifetime. However, we just completed a 2-year practice run with the pandemic. Something first dismissed and thought of as small and too far away to affect us. How we were wrong about that.

I was born in Canada. At birth, I had rights, privileges, opportunities, and freedoms that most in the world will never have. I had a head start and effectively won the lottery based on nothing more than geography.

So with my head start, I look back and see that this isn’t just about Ukraine. It’s also about those who won this same lottery and the opportunity we now have to stand up and defend those that didn’t. It’s time for us to rise up and fight for the freedom we often take for granted.

With all of this in mind, I want to make a plea to everyone. Act now. Spread the word of what’s happening on social media, push your government to do more, donate your time and money to help the children of Ukraine. Let’s not wait until this is at our doorstep. At that point, it just may be too late.

всім українцям. ми любимо тебе. ми сумуємо за тобою. слава україні та її героям

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This is just my perspective and I could be wrong, but I’m quite certain that one thing is true. The children of Ukraine are going through something that no child should have to experience and there will be some negative outcome if we don’t step in and help them now.