Think you can’t make a direct impact on the war in Ukraine?
Think again.
Grassroots campaigns may seem ineffective compared to large organizations like the American Red Cross, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Volunteer-based groups like Ukraine Front Line (UFL) are an outgrowth of Ukrainian civil society’s proud tradition of stepping up in times of crisis, and they play a crucial role in supporting Ukraine’s fierce resistance against Russia.
On November 30, 2013, Viktor Yanukovych, then president of Ukraine, abruptly turned his back on a planned association agreement with the European Union, pivoting instead to a deal offered by Vladimir Putin that would have drawn Ukraine further into Moscow’s orbit. The move was deeply unpopular with the Ukrainian people and they took to the streets to protest it.
Yanukovych didn’t back down. Instead, he dispersed the initial protests with undue violence. This only brought more Ukrainians to the streets. A barricaded tent camp sprang up on Kyiv’s central square, Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Thousands of ordinary Ukrainians spent that winter on Maidan. Volunteers supplied and staffed food kitchens and field hospitals; trained and outfitted volunteer defense units against the day when Yanukovych’s forces would strike; produced news broadcasts, documentaries, and promotional spots; performed concerts, held civic meetings, and delivered lectures on Maidan’s stage. Everyone contributed what they could toward the common goal of an independent Ukraine free of Russian control. Together, they were known as the Maidanivtsi.
The Maidanivtsi prevailed. Yanukovych fled Ukraine and his regime crumbled on February 21, 2014, after three days of bloody battle ignited when Yanukovych sent his goons to massacre the Maidanivtsi and the Maidanivtsi fought back.
Putin wasted no time: less than a week later, he sent Russian soldiers in uniforms stripped of insignia into Crimea, and annexed it in a move immediately condemned by most of the international community.
Photo: Mstyslav Chernov
In March and April of 2014, Putin sent troops into Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in an effort to take them, too. Yanukovych had left the military criminally underfunded and under-equipped to fight off a foreign aggressor. Volunteers hastened to provide what their government couldn’t. They established domestic and international supply networks in a matter of weeks, scouring the globe for everything from socks and smoke grenades to hemostatic gauze and injectable morphine for the front lines. Everyone contributed what they could to the common goal of enabling Ukraine’s fighters to hold off Russian aggressors. The volunteers and grassroots campaigns helped buy time for the Ukrainian military to get up to speed.
The Donbas war settled into a simmering conflict with infrequent flare-ups. The Ukrainian government was largely able to get its military trained and equipped to meet the needs of the Donbas war. Then, on February 24, 2022, Putin launched his deranged full-scale war on Ukraine and the need for all manner of supplies suddenly exploded.
This is where grassroots campaigns like UFL excel.
Traditional large nonprofits are hamstrung by bureaucratic procedures and expensive overhead. Grassroots groups streamline the decision-making process, often acting immediately and at a fraction of the cost thanks to the cooperation of extensive, experienced, efficient, global volunteer networks united in the singular goal of supporting Ukraine. This enables the most effective use of donations and means that urgent needs are met swiftly. Quick fulfillment of these requests can be the difference between life and death.
Furthermore, the transparency afforded by grassroots campaigns creates a direct link between donors and recipients. Fighting a war requires unimaginable strength, and morale is critically important. With each supply run, our friends in Ukraine can feel the international support system standing behind them. Documenting the deliveries lets donors see the impact their generosity makes.
When history looks back on this dark time, those who stood up to tyranny will be a beacon of light. This is your opportunity to stand with Ukraine. This is your opportunity to make a difference.
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