Teenage volunteers pack £125,000 worth of essentials for Ukrainian refugees
Youngsters from Project ImpACT work with Goods for Good to send food and first aid supplies to the Polish border
Jeremy Last is assistant web editor at the Jewish News. He lives in Israel, and is currently in his second stint at the JN, having worked for the paper back in the early 2000s!
Teenager volunteers from Project ImpACT packed hundreds of boxes filled with an estimated £125,000 worth of essentials for Ukrainian refugees this week.
The event, held at Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue (HGGS) on Sunday, saw ImpACT team up with Goods for Good, an organisation which sends goods donated by businesses and individuals in the UK to vulnerable communities living around the world.
The boxes were put on a lorry organised by Goods for Good, which was driven to the Ukrainian border where they will be distributed directly to refugees fleeing the war with Russia.
Some 200 teens took part in the event.
One volunteer, Gil Tyderman, 17, said: “You see it on the news and you feel pretty helpless, but packing these emergency supplies is empowering and makes you feel that at least you have helped in some way.”
The donated items, which included tables piled high with packets of pasta, tinned food, first aid supplies, dry goods and toiletries were collected by HGSS community members and Project ImpACT teens.
Volunteers heard from James Silverman, Facility & Volunteer Coordinator from Goods for Good, who explained the desperate need for the items and where they were going.
They also heard directly from Yotam Poilzer, CEO of IsraAID, a humanitarian charity that is currently operating three child friendly spaces on the border of Ukraine and Moldova. He described how desperate the situation was and how it was different to anything he has seen in all his years working in humanitarian aid.
Alyson Martin who helped spearhead the collection said: “A big thank you to everyone who supported. The generosity from everyone has been overwhelming, including those who donated, sorted and packed”.
Chayli Fehler, Director and Founder of Project ImpACT added: “It was incredible to see so many young people wanting to do their personal bit to make a difference during this crisis. ImpACT youth volunteers are a credit to the community. Their enthusiasm and dedication to volunteer as much as they can is inspiring”.
Project ImpACT inspires young people to volunteer and make an ImpACT through social action.
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