We wish a Happy and Peaceful Mother's Day to all moms, grandmothers, and Bubbes.
This is Elvira B from Mariupol. She is 87 years of age and survived the Nazis occupation of Mariupol in 1941-1943. Last week she was rescued from a basement in Mariupol.
The reports of the war in Ukraine are overwhelming. A small country is bravely trying to hold back the invading Russian forces. An estimated 12 million people have fled their homes. Approximately half have left Ukraine, and half remain displaced in Ukraine. For many of the elderly that Action-PSJ serves, evacuation is impossible, and they take shelter from the war at home.
Our Bubbes are strong and resilient women. Despite the hardships of living through a Soviet regime and institutional antisemitism, they have succeeded. They have fought through layers of sexism, religious, and economic oppressions. All the while renewing their connection to Judaism and Jewish life, becoming educated and having successful long careers. Unfortunately, as they worked through the challenges of oppression and became pensioners, their economic and health difficulties increased. Before the war, our Bubbe's level of poverty and severely limited health access was troublesome. Now it is inhumane and devastating.
To understand how difficult life was for the elderly before the war, the report from our last in-person visit to Ukraine in 2019 chronicles a few of our elderly's journeys and can be found here: May 2019 Trip Report
Action-PSJ provides direct humanitarian aid to the elderly Ukrainian Jews to meet needs left unmet by overwhelmed social service agencies. This aid takes many forms. It could be medication for one person, winter clothing and shoes for another, financial subsidies to pay rent and other bills, or social check-ins to combat loneliness and depression. Our local coordinators and volunteers in Ukraine are still there, sheltering from the war at home, heroically helping their neighbors.
This Mother's Day, we honor our Bubbes. We have cared for these resilient women in 12 communities across Ukraine for over 30 years. Bubbes in Ukraine don't need Mother's Day flowers—they need food, medication, heat, and more. Give a gift of humanitarian aid to support these resilient women as they survive wartime atrocities.
One elderly person explained to the Brussels Times, " Hitler destroyed my childhood, and Putin is destroying my old age. There are children dying, elderly dying, and cities being destroyed."
Your call to action:
Helping hands here supports boots on the ground there: The foundation of Action's successful history as a grassroots organization – the ability to galvanize collective action from the local level to effect change - drives our wartime mobilization efforts. These projects are examples of this and more ways YOU can help! Be in touch if you want to organize your own drive!
Action-PSJ continuously updates the supply wish list as requests from Ukraine come in. The situation on the ground is very fluid and changes daily. We want to be prepared to ship as it is safe to do so, as the need for these basic supplies increases. We have added items to create activity kits for children and seniors. Click here for the SUPPLY WISH LIST.
