Red Cross and donors to Ukraine relief effort deserve thanks

By Lethbridge Herald on April 1, 2022.

Editor:

The war with Ukraine by Russia prompted me to contact the Canadian Red Cross and initiate a month-long fundraiser to end on March 31, my 80th birthday. This fundraiser towards Ukraine disaster relief was initiated on March 1. 

By March 29, $15,600 has been reached, raised at my site http://www.redcross.ca/UkraineCrisis/80thBirthday [1] . Early on, a generous infusion of $5,000 came from the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East which I have belonged to for 30 years – with 46 individual donors contributing, over half of whom call Lethbridge and area ‘home’!

I hereby want to thank all the donors to my site and other Red Cross and Ukraine-related sites, most sincerely!

The Canadian Red Cross, through the Ukrainian Red Cross and Red Crescent had contributed in the following areas: Rescue and first aid training of more than 42,000 people, family re-unification and mental health support, safe passage for evacuation of 57,000 civilians by March 16, health equipment, 400 tons of relief items, care for displaced people by 450 Red Cross medics, sending nine humanitarian specialists to scale up emergency health and shelter operations, and ensuring the protection of the civilian population (such as the detained, wounded or sick).

As a tiny child at the end of World War II, fleeing with my family from the Soviets, in the harsh winter of January/February 1945, and again six months later, further west to end up in an 85 per cent bombed-out Duesseldorf, I very much appreciate the active help the Red Cross is providing fleeing and embattled Ukrainians now, 77 years later!

 For our family, immigrating to Canada in 1951 brought a new life to us all!

Hans-Henning Muendel

Lethbridge