Snowbound Solidarity: International Collaboration Creates Christmas Miracle in Ukraine
When incredible teams from the UK, USA, Finland, and Norway come together, it’s like witnessing a true Christmas Miracle.
The immense efforts and boundless generosity of our friends at NADA-NORD in Finland, alongside Paracrew Humanitarian Aid in Norway, brought forth a beacon of hope—a 40’ truck laden with vital food and hygiene supplies destined for Ukraine. This gift arrived at the Actions Beyond Words, Medyka hub in Poland at the start of December.
More than just €40,000 worth of essential aid, it symbolised compassion and solidarity. ABW volunteers worked tirelessly, unloading the truck into the warehouse while simultaneously preparing vans for urgent departures. The weather, however, presented an arduous challenge. The industrial park was coated in compacted snow, transforming it into an icy landscape. Doubts arose about the truck’s ability to navigate through this treacherous terrain. To compound matters, the forklift couldn’t reach the warehouse, necessitating the manual unloading of 16 pallets in bone-chilling -6°C (21°F) weather, made even harsher by a biting wind chill factor that brought the real feel to -11°C (12°F).
Yet, amidst these daunting conditions, spirits remained high. The team turned the adversity into a shared experience, engaging in the familiar game of “How fast can we form a human chain to unload packs of essentials”. Even the Redspot Films videography team, led by the incredible Louise and Guy, joined in wholeheartedly to support the cause—a sincere shout-out to them for their invaluable hands-on help.
After four challenging hours, the only obstacle that remained was one of our vans firmly lodged in the snow, a situation that prompted reflection on the importance of having snow chains. With immense gratitude for the unwavering support from our local Polish friends in the surrounding units, we managed to overcome this hurdle and get things back on track.
The very next morning, as the sun rose, the aid began its journey to Dnipro and neighbouring villages. Another route was charted to Khariv, paving the way for aid to reach villages near the northern border with Russia—a region grappling with a scarcity of aid, heightened demand, and persistent dangers.
In the lead-up to Christmas, these teams continued their tireless efforts, ferrying and distributing life-saving aid across Ukraine. None of these extraordinary efforts would have been possible without the steadfast commitment of NADA-NORD, persistently raising funds despite the growing weariness surrounding the situation in Ukraine, compounded by ongoing humanitarian crises like the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In 2023, ABW succeeded in delivering around $1,000,000 (over £750,000) in aid, a significant portion of which flowed to us through remarkable organizations like NADA-NORD for execution at the endpoint. To all those who have supported us along this journey, your compassion and generosity have made an immeasurable impact. If this story has touched your heart and inspired you to join us, please get in contact today. Together, we create a force that brings hope and healing to those who need it most.
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