Help to Ukraine

Hello everyone,

When it comes to supporting some cause, I am not the one jumping on a bandwagon. I actually disrespect Slacktivism and being not able to do something meaningful, usually limit myself to donating to humanitarian organizations. But what is happening now in Ukraine is too much, and I would like to help, but in a meaningful way. I hope I am not alone and I hope we can exchange ideas here.

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This is a great list, did you find this on the FB page? Because I don’t see it and would like to know what items would be needed in the following days.

It is from that group, you just have to scroll quite a lot down.

#collectionpoint

There are many places across Switzerland listed in posts with this tag.

I’m wondering, are those donation really the most effective (unless you were about to throw things away).

Switzerland has a high cost of living (so 1 CHF could buy much more elsewhere), and the logistics of non properly packaged goods are much much hard (and efficient).

Wouldn’t it be much better to donate money to people/organization who can order entire pallets of needed items through wholesale sellers that can be much more easily shipped and delivered?

(so donating item instead of money could be more about making us feel better rather effectiveness)

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I totally agree with you. Donating individual items that we don’t need anyway just makes us feel better and not necessarily a most effective logistics. But at the moment I don’t know another way to provide help. That is also why I opened this topic. There are lots of skillful people here, maybe we can come out with something better? Like organizing transportation of one standard container of medicine to Polish or Hungarian border with Ukraine? Or at least finding out who is doing things like this.

Or to have a postal address at a border that would allow receiving packages by standard mail, that would be transferred across the border?

Actually I know, picking people at the border and providing them with accomodations. But I can’t do this, and it is also probably an inefficient activity.

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: [COFFEE] Possibility of World War 3

You also can use Jetzt spenden - Glückskette to donate …

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Aren’t organization like MSF or ICRC (for example, I’m sure there’s more) organizations that have the training and logistics to handle that? They’ve handle refugee crisis all over the world for a long time.

Probably if you have the space, opening your home would likely work (there’s going to be lots of people on S permit in Switzerland soon enough I assume, and being hosted by someone might be a possibility).

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As nabalzbhf, I’d say as Swiss people, our main personal impact would be through financial donations: 1 CHF goes a long way and what we can give here can buy much more in a different location, if managed efficiently by a properly organized organization.

The Red Cross was created for the express purpose of humanitarian help in warzones: UKRAINE CRISIS | International Committee of the Red Cross

The UNICEF is active in Ukraine with actions oriented on children (but that should obviously also cover their families): UNICEF Ukraine

Zewo has a list of organizations active in Ukraine:
In French: Dons pour l’Ukraine – Zewo
In German: Spenden für die Ukraine – Zewo

The National Bank of Ukraine (Ukraine’s central bank) has also opened a special fund for social relief in Ukraine. Be aware that they have also opened a special account to fund their military directly (and that they are probably targeted by cyber attacks from Russia), so check which account you’re sending to: NBU Opens Fundraising Account for Humanitarian Assistance to Ukrainians Affected by Russia’s Aggression

So, mustachian way to help Ukraine would be:

  1. Donate useable items that you don’t need to volunteers.
  2. Donate money to humanitarian organizations (passive but effective)
  3. Become a volunteer and help by working physically, driving, providing accomodation, …

:thinking:

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Yes. But this is another contradiction between a psychological need to actively do something (in this case to help) and efficient use of resources.

For years I have been supporting "Polish Humanitarian Action". They have been active for years in various humanitarian crisis locations (Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine before the war). They are being run professionally, finances audited, have infrastructure and know how to act both in Ukraine and in Poland, helping refugees.

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I found this good way to maximize my donation because UBS matches 100% of every donation up to USD 5 millions:
https://optimus.foundation/en/projects/37/
At the moment CHF 1.6 millions have been donated.

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What would be really helpful is to find out which banks are buying Ukrainian currency now. Many refugees have taken their savings in cash, but cannot do anything with it right, because banks are not buying.

This sounds like a task for Super Mustachian Financial Rescue Team!

@Cortana ?

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: [COFFEE] Possibility of World War 3

We are fortunate enough to have a modest holiday home and will host a Ukrainian mum and her kids. The father cannot leave Ukraine

Being very honest about my thought process: I hesitated about the sacrifice of Airbnb income. We are also planning to sell our holiday home which will be put on hold.

The reason I am posting this anonymously in an internet forum is in case it encourages anyone else who is sitting on the fence to do the same.

The feel good factor of doing something small to help another human being really trumps all these concerns. The poor lady was in tears on the phone to my wife

The example it sets my kids is priceless. Looking back at history, I would like to think that if my family would have been in a situation to help refugees in WW2 for example, they would have

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We did the same with an apartment in Poland. It was put on the market (to be sold) through the agency in January, but after Russia invaded Ukraine we have contacted the agency with which we signed the contract and asked them if we can put someone from Ukraine there. Fortunately they agreed and since beginning of March there are 2 women with 3 kids living there. Even if we find someone interested in buying it, we will give them time to find something else (and will try to help them in this process too).

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Kudos to you.

I have also decided to put on hold my plan to turn a flat I have abroad into an AirBnB and host someone there.

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Also a good project in switzerland:

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