Gone are the daily front-page headlines and lead stories on the nightly news, but Putin’s war against Ukraine continues to devastate cities and towns throughout the war-ravaged country. Today, the need for assistance in Ukraine is even greater than it was two years ago.
Last year, Harpswell residents opened their hearts and wallets for Chuhuiv, a town near Kharkiv and the Russian border. With these funds, Chuhuiv purchased three vehicles to deliver needed food and medicine and to take the injured and elderly to shelters.
Continuing to be a target from a relentless barrage of Russian missiles and drones, Chuhuiv needs our assistance again. Heavily damaged from the shrapnel of an exploding missile, Chuhuiv’s hospital is in desperate need of equipment to replace what was destroyed or damaged. The hospital served 2,000 patients annually before the Russian invasion but now treats 8,000 sick and wounded residents.
We are calling on our friends and neighbors again. On June 12, a group of active Harpswell supporters of Ukraine will hold a fundraiser at Centennial Hall from 5-7 p.m. with food, wine, beer and a silent auction. We are hoping to raise $20,000 for Chuhuiv’s hospital.
Contributions are tax-deductible. Checks and credit card contributions should be made out to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, also known as TAPS, which will forward the donations to Chuhuiv. TAPS is the nonprofit that assisted us last year to make certain that Chuhuiv received the funds to purchase the vehicles.
Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us. It will be an enjoyable evening and you will be generously assisting those who are on the front line, resisting Putin’s criminal aggression.
Jerry Klepner, Harpswell
