The Slavic Full Gospel Church in Broadview Heights recently hosted religious leaders from around the world to plan a shipment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The church was chosen because of the large nearby Ukrainian American population. More than 15,000 people of Ukrainian descent live in Cuyahoga County, with a particular concentration in Parma.
There is a need to obtain essential supplies for the war-torn nation, John Kerezy, an event volunteer, said.
“Especially in eastern Ukraine, just having enough food and water to get by is a challenge,” he said.
In the past, the church has organized shipments of food, diapers, beds and generators to help hospitals stay open during power outages.
Attendees, including religious leaders from the U.S., Canada and Ukraine, also brought attention to the trauma Ukrainians are facing during the Russian invasion.
Sherri McClurg, CEO of the Mentor-based nonprofit New Horizons for Children, helps evacuate orphans from war zones.
“We're working with them on; how do I take care of me? How do I learn to regulate my own emotions? What are my feelings? Who are my people? Where's my safety?”
About 5,000 Ukrainian refugees have located to Northeast Ohio since the start of the war.
