Tuesday marked the fourth year of war in Ukraine. Four years of conflict, brutality, and devastation. Our mission continues, but I know many Americans are growing tired.
For four years, the organization I founded, HelpingUkraine.US, has worked tirelessly to serve and assist the people of Ukraine.
We have worked closely with hospitals all over the country, as well as schools, churches, and the 24 Hope Centers we created along the warfront. We’ve distributed millions in healthcare supplies and saved lives through our donors’ generous contributions.
One of our current partnerships is called Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization demining the most dangerous corners of Ukraine.
Since the war began, Ukraine has become the most mined area in the world. More than 174,000 square kilometers — an area roughly the size of Florida — are contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Tip of the Spear’s mission is to remove these threats, restore safety, and help affected communities reclaim their land and their future.
In heavily impacted regions such as Kharkiv Oblast, entire villages remain empty not because homes were destroyed, but because the land surrounding them is unsafe. Farmers cannot access their fields. Families cannot return home. Children cannot safely play outside.
Tip of the Spear has recently established an all-female division. It’s growing fast. Women who have lost their sons or husbands want to help.
These brave women, many of whom without military experience, are risking their lives for their country and to honor those they’ve lost.
Still, more is needed.
I can only imagine the dread so many Ukrainians must feel — four years of war with no end in sight.
Or perhaps an end is in sight. It’s hard to tell. The United States hopes to negotiate a peace deal between the two sides by June of this year.
Ukraine and Russia have resumed peace talks, and emerging military technology may shift the tide. Ukraine has become even more aggressive, gaining more ground in the past two weeks than it has in the previous 2.5 years of fighting.
Regardless, it’s easy to become distracted. The end seemed close before.
Consider the following: right now, 12.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance, and 3.7 million are still internally displaced.
In 2025, 12,142 civilians, including hundreds of children, were killed and/or injured from the conflict, a 31% increase from 2024.
Perhaps these numbers aren’t enough. We need to look into the eyes of someone else and hear them. We need human connection.
My trips to Ukraine have allowed me to meet so many incredible people. People from across the region are fighting for survival. Fighting to rebuild their communities and protect those in need.
Our volunteer CEO, Olga Gorman, recently returned from a three-week trip to Ukraine. These three weeks revealed just how dire the situation has become. I can only imagine the pain she must feel watching her homeland be constantly bombarded.
Olga recalled to me her experience walking out of a diner in Kyiv to a scene of rubble. Things seemed normal inside, but as soon as she left, she was met with the harsh reality.
Although Olga was already living in the United States when the conflict began, she has seen firsthand the suffering and destruction the conflict has caused.
Since 2022, over 6.9 million people have fled Ukraine, and the country’s population has decreased from 42 million to roughly 36 million.
At HelpingUkraine.US, we share our stories, putting faces to names. Our donors have allowed us to make a real, tangible impact on the lives of Ukrainians, particularly Ukrainian children.
We have supplied hospitals with battery-operated lifesaving surgery tools, incubators, and wound care. We have delivered laptops to children whose school buildings have been destroyed. These children have had to study in bomb shelters
For the schools that are still standing, we have provided generators to keep the lights on.
We have supplied generators to pump water and to keep hospitals open. Our volunteers at the front have installed hundreds of wood burning stoves in village homes. We respond to hundreds of requests.
As we mark four years, I hope that the Atlanta community will continue to join us in our work supporting the wonderful citizens of Ukraine as they fight to hold on to their motherland… All of it.
I want to inspire others to care, to give, not to look away, not to be complacent.
Let’s not forget the human tragedy happening every day. Let’s remember to care by helping Ukraine.