Russia’s war against Ukraine shocked the world a year ago and motivated people across the globe to send donations and money to Ukrainians in need. In the last part of WAMC’s week-long news series on the war, WAMC’s Lucas Willard meet two figures central to the relief effort in the Capital Region.
A year ago, the basement of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church was transformed from a recreation and community space to an epicenter of the Capital Region’s Ukrainian relief effort
“This is a respirator…you know, if you cannot breathe. I don’t know myself, many of the things. I rely on other experts to guide us.”
St. Nicholas’s Priest, Father Mikhail Myschuk, sifts through boxes containing medical equipment. But the stack on the folding table against one wall pales in comparison to what it used to look like here.
Myschuk pulls up his phone to show a photo of the church basement completely stuffed with supplies that took months to sort out and send overseas.
“It took maybe ‘till June.”
“Months,” said Fil.
“So, from until we kind of cleared a little bit…and then you know, gradually…because last donation, we were able to kind of ship everything. And now every two weeks, so this is ready. We send it Monday, we're starting building up again,” said Myschuk.
The church was assisted in gathering donations by the Ukrainian-American Cultural Center, also in Watervliet.
When serving as First Vice Chair of the cultural center a year ago, Peter Fil created the Facebook Group, 518Ukrainians.
The social media page has more than 1,500 members and is still receiving daily posts. It has helped organize fundraisers and donation drives, coordinate living spaces for refugees, and just allowed community members to share their grief over the war.
Fil says when the group was first started, the thought of finding a way to help was daunting.
“People need to have a voice, they need to be able to share their opinions, share what's going on, have their have their feelings, shared and not shut down. You know, I felt that that was really, really important. And to have that platform was really crucial, I think,” said Fil.
Father Myschuk has a sister and two brothers that live in Ukraine. Fil has extended family in the country.
To date, the church and community center have helped raise about a million dollars. That money has helped purchase supplies directly impacting Ukrainians in conflict, including vehicles.
Myschuk did not expect the level of support that he’s seen over the last year.
“It's not only the Ukrainian, our church, but it's from the local churches, Ukrainian churches, and a lot of it was people that I met first time, you know, many people. A huge amount of people have came…that wanted to help. Americans of all kinds of nationalities, races and ages. So, it was really an experience for me, personally. And I, you know, and I, that time, being a man of faith, I could see you know, how God works. Miraculously, in this case,” said Myschuk.
During the Lenten season, the church is launching another push for supplies. Right now, the focus is on medical equipment.
What was once a huge logistical challenge, sending supplies overseas has become a routine exercise. Fil says he and Father Myschuk know where the stuff is going. Every other week, between 40 and 50 boxes are collected and sent to central hubs, hospitals, and sometimes the front lines.
“We're shipping boxes, we've got a direct connection, they've got a link to our church, you know, they see the personal message. We know we're making an impact. It's not just generic and it's not just floating out there. We know that, you know, those supplies are getting to where they need to be,” said Fil.
“I just would like to add, you know, that now, we're not only addressing the needs, because it just takes a little time to fulfill the needs, we trying to kind of project what the need might be. If it's fall, we know winter is coming. We know what the winter will present. When it’s winter, the spring is coming. So, we try to project the needs that will be there in next month or two, sort of, you know, as much as we can. And then we address, of course, that needs that is immediate if we can do that,” said Myschuk.
Just before the anniversary of the War in Ukraine, a devastating earthquake killed tens of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria.
Myschuk says the Ukrainian community in the Capital Region now has the knowledge to assist the burgeoning relief earthquake relief effort.
“Now, we will see the Turkey and the Syrian community. So, we'll see what we can, you know, you know, how can we be useful for them and be helpful to them. So, it's not like we start to work with everybody else, but we have a connection. And now, we are capable of knowing them as, as people will know each other, right? To address their needs, or…be with them when they have a joy, and be with them when they a have struggle,” said Myschuk.
With no end in sight to the War in Ukraine, Fil and Father Myschuk are determined to keep the relief effort going. And after the war comes reconstruction.
“Russia has been trying to destroy Ukraine's culture, Ukraine's history for ages now. And Ukrainians will stay strong and they will stay resolute and continue to defend what is theirs. And the hard part is going to be the reconstruction. You know, that is always going to be the toughest part. Right now we're going through, we're going through hell. You know? A lot of Ukrainians have perished, saving their country trying to save their country. And the reconstruction is probably going to be the next big hurdle, hopefully when this all ends,” said Fil.
