Northern Ireland donations for people and pets fleeing Ukraine arrived at their first destination after two days on the road and are now at the distribution centres.
Displaced have today sent their thanks to the strangers who have helped them for the kindness and the practical gifts to help them through the crisis.
Several charities including Casa pui Patrocle which is looking after the needs of thousands of pets and their families, are working with Support Ukraine, run by Co Antrim man Milsoz Stopka from his Mallusk transport business.
Read more: 37 pictures of love and hope as Ukraine dogs are carried to safety
And while donations are now being placed directly in the hands of the people who need them most, more help is needed back home in Northern Ireland where more essentials are awaiting sorting and transportation.
Edna Grobler who volunteers for the organisation said: “The final relay point has been reached for the torch of Hope, Humanity and Kindness. Our photos show one of many direct distribution points to the destitute Ukrainian citizens.
"So many people are saying thank you , and we thank Milosz Stopka and his partner Justyna who are the inspiration and driving force behind the Help Ukraine Humanitarian Initiative. We want to thank the amazing people at StopCar Transportation for handling our warehousing, logistics and so much more for the initiative.
"But not forgetting the most amazing people involved in this initiative and that is you, the public. The people who have donated funds, aid, volunteered and even shared and liked our pages with friends and family. Your ongoing help and support in creating awareness of our initiative are deeply appreciated and it brings hope to those in need of it most.
"By Friday we had two lorries at or near their Polish destination and it was amazing to know that all of the hard work here in Northern Ireland has been paying off. Now the lorries will keep going as long as we can fill them and fuel them.
“Hundreds of thousands of items of essentials from nappies to clothes, from food to dog crates have been donated by the public plus huge donations of pet food also came from Mackle foods and Jollyes pet stores. The generosity has been phenomenal.
“The first 40ft lorry arrived safely at its destination in Poland on Thursday night and Milosz was there to oversee its delivery. Now those goods have been split between various charities to meet their requests and we have lots more to send from Northern Ireland.
"By the time people are reading this, the second lorry will have arrived too.”
Edna said they are being asked for specific essentials including camping equipment such as:
- sleeping bags
- waterproof ground sheets
- disposable cooking utensils
- disposable plates, cups and bowls
- disposable cutlery
She explained: “We are looking for wooden or plastic style camping equipment that you would typically use on a camping trip, stuff that cannot be easily broken and that can be washed and reused.
“We are also being asked for sleeping bags, plastic and padded ground sheeting and cooking items such as little camping stoves and the fuel to heat them.”
In addition to that, the Support Ukraine group is now asking for volunteers to help sort and pack donations at the Mallusk depot.
She said: “We have mountains of goods that we need to get to Poland and have it distributed amongst the refugee groups.
“So we are making an ongoing plea for volunteers who can give us some of their time.”
She also said that financial donations would help ensure the cost of the fuel for the lorries and their sea crossings.
Edna explained: “It costs about £3,000 to get one lorry to Poland and that is after negotiations to reduce the costs all along the way."
David Foster from PlayforStrays pet charity helped co-ordinate donations for animals fleeing with their families.
He said: "The response to our call for help was incredible. At one stage we had to ask people to pause the donations because we literally couldn't keep up. Thankfully people understood and they are ready to respond again.
"The impact of compassion on the Ukrainian people who are fleeing their homes is obvious to see. It's very hard for us to imaging putting on our coat and boots, picking up our dog or cat and literally running for our lives. But we have seen what's going on thanks to the free press in Northern Ireland and beyond.
"We can see the desperation, we can see the need and now we can see how our offers of help are being accepted. It's a very humbling experience for everyone who is able to donate big and small."
If you would like to volunteer at the donations depot, you can call Support Ukraine volunteer co-ordinator Gary Morrison on 07305 325601.
If you would like to donate to the running fund, you can click here and follow the link.
