I just wanted to reach out with a quick update on how things are going with our help to Ukraine and the refugees fleeing to Latvia.
We keep funding families with first aid help, as a lot of them show up with just the clothing that they have on. We are finding safe homes to stay in, some of the families are staying in apartments where we cover the cost (the owners are giving big discounts), we also have been paying for hostels before we can start looking for a more suitable place.
Several of the families have found jobs at the local day care, giving private piano classes etc. It is amazing how resilient these mothers are, they are very focused and want to work as soon as possible to take care of their children and themselves and not wanting to ask for more help. I am personally in contact with several moms and not once they reached out to ask for more assistants, (i keep checking on them) not only i truly feel for them, I also admire and respect the way they are going about these unthinkable circumstances.
We also have been supporting this amazing volunteer Victor, he has a van that he fills up with first aid and delivers to Ukraine, on the way back he brings as many refugees as he can.
We are in contact with Evas friends in Kharkov hospital, sending support as we can. Eva's mom is still in Kharkov as well, still in her apartments with all her animals, Eva is not able to talk her into trying to get out, but she is safe as she can be.
I keep getting sweet messages and photos, so I wanted to make sure, I forward these to you, as you are the reason these people have much better circumstances in this hard time they’re going through. And I also want to be very transparent with what we are doing with the funds and how we are helping, so if you ever have any questions, please reach out.
At this moment, we have enough funds to keep doing what we are doing. BIG Thank you for that!
Big shout out to my friends in Latvia, who are there and taking Ukrainian people in, organizing their paperwork, going to job interviews, supporting them in sickness and just being there, listening and inviting them into their homes. So much love and kindness.
Our future hope, at Art Makes You, is to restart art camps/art therapy for kids with war trauma in Ukraine and Latvia.
http://artmakesyou.org/art-camps
I hope everyone is having a peaceful Easter weekend. All our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine.
