NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 30, 2022 / Worldwide Friends (current mission: UkraineFriends.org), a nonprofit made up of activists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists providing direct support to Ukrainian civilians, announced the expansion of their existing partnership with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) to exponentially drive humanitarian support in Ukraine.

UCCA is a non-profit, non-partisan community-based organization that has represented the interests of Ukrainians in the United States since 1940. UCCA has been providing direct aid to combat humanitarian challenges in Ukraine long before this most recent Russian invasion.

Worldwide Friends is a New York 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on serving the plight of the world's diasporas. Its current mission, UkraineFriends.org, sources, transports, and delivers critical supplies to cities under direct attack by Russian forces and partners with downrange operators to evacuate Ukrainians in need. The organization, co-founded by KOACORE, WeShield, Medical Supplies of America, JS Industrial Supplies, and others, specializes in delivering essential medical emergency kits to those on the front lines, funds evacuations of Ukrainians in danger, and provides temporary housing to thousands of civilians evacuating the region through its partnership with Airbnb.org. To date, Airbnb.org has provided UkraineFriends.org with over 13 million dollars of housing vouchers to house Ukrainian evacuees-its largest contribution yet.

Since the start of the invasion, and in cooperation with the UCCA and numerous downrange logistics partners, Ukraine Friends has delivered more than 25,000 IFAKs (individual first aid kits) to the frontlines. More than 30,000 women, children, and elderly have been evacuated, and over 15,000 evacuees have been housed for free for up to 30 days, thanks to UkraineFriends.org's partnership with Airbnb.org.

The expanded partnership with the UCCA will provide for significant new fundraising and sourcing of aid in the form of life-saving medical supplies, security drones, transportation, and shelter for evacuating Ukrainians.

'We're so thankful to have the support of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in our mission to drive emergency relief efforts for the people of Ukraine,' said Teddy Raskin, Co-Founder of Worldwide Friends and its Ukraine Friends mission. 'Our organization has been evacuating civilians and delivering desperately needed trauma kits to those on the front lines, and the expanded backing of the UCCA will rapidly extend our capabilities. Andriy, Tamara, and the entire UCCA team have been our partners since Day 1. We are proud to publicly share the expansion of our relationship.'

'From the very first day of our partnership with UkraineFriends.org, together, we have made a significant impact in helping to save the lives of innocent civilians and those brave men and women who are on the frontlines and fighting for their country - Ukraine,' said Andriy Futey, President of UCCA. 'The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America has been working with our partner, UkraineFriends.org, to supply vital life-saving military first aid kits along with protective vests, helmets, and other personal protective gear, night vision gear, satellite phones, and medical equipment-which are transported into Ukraine and distributed directly to the frontlines. We are making a difference! This is a true partnership! We make a great team with Teddy, Bobby, Roman, Michael, and their entire organization. Slava Ukraini!'

About Worldwide Friends / Mission: UkraineFriends.org

Worldwide Friends is a New York 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on serving the plight of the world's diasporas and Ukrainefriends.org is their current mission. UkraineFriends.org maintains established partnerships with KOACORE, WeShield, JS Industrial Supplies, Medical Supplies of America, Chabad, Jesuit University, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Friends of Rockaway, Operation White Stork, HARP Project, Task Force Yankee, among others, and was established as a collective humanitarian response to the invasion of Ukraine. Leveraging the expertise and extensive networks of the group's founders, the organization is a collective of people from varied backgrounds who have chosen to stand together to ensure the rapid response of humanitarian aid to many of the most vulnerable people of this country.

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About the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

Since 1940, UCCA has enabled the Ukrainian-American community to generate the political capital and momentum needed to aid the people of Ukraine. During World War II, that included such measures as a Ukrainian-American war bond drive of $5,000,000, organizing aid for Ukrainian war victims and refugees, rallying parishes and community centers towards blood drives, and advocating for the passage of the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, which allowed for more than 200,000 persons to enter the US, nearly half of whom were Ukrainians.

UCCA led nationwide actions in the lead up to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990 and conducted the first-ever international Election Observer Missions in an independent Ukraine. UCCA remains the only community organization that has sent a delegation of election observers to every Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary election, the largest consisting of over 2500 observers during the historic 2004 Orange Revolution. UCCA has been providing direct aid to combat humanitarian challenges in Ukraine since long before this most recent Russian invasion.

CONTACT:

Daniel Smiertka
ukrainefriends@5wpr.com
(713) 557-8540

SOURCE: WeShield