By Tyler Clure and Carla McCanna
Dallas is nearly 6,000 miles away from Ukraine, but SMU Mustangs still have plenty of opportunities to show their support for Ukraine as it faces attacks from Russia.
Non-profit organizations across Dallas are collecting charitable donations for direct aid. One of these organizations, the Ukrainian Cultural Club of Dallas, is accepting disaster relief items, financial aid and supplies.
SMU students who wish to help out can donate directly to Ukraine foundations through the Ukrainian Cultural Club of Dallas website.
Students can also buy a shirt from the ministry, Jermiah’s Hope, to help them raise funds. The ministry works with orphans and at-risk youth in Kolentsi which is just over 4 miles away from the town of Ivankiv.
Local businesses close to campus are also taking part in sending aid and supplies to Ukraine. In Preston Center, Ukie-Style Embroidery is currently collecting medical supplies and donations, and they are contributing 100% of their profits and tips to Ukrainian aid funds.
SMU’s Boaz Commons has also been involved in a variety of fundraisers and events to raise awareness and support for Ukraine. Last Sunday, residents raised $144 in donations, which Boaz’s faculty in residence (FiR) have matched to make an even $300. Half ended will go to Doctors Without Borders and the other $150 will go to the International Rescue Committee. Residents also wrote down prayers for the people of Ukraine and posted them on a map of Ukraine displayed within the residential commons.
Boaz also plans to talk with Professor Paul Behringer this Sunday about the situation in Ukraine. Professor Behringer teaches a course on US-Russian relations here at SMU.
Those who would like a more in-depth understanding of the situation in Ukraine can read the blog post from the John G. Tower Chair in International Politics and National Security at SMU. She provides some much needed context and perspective to the story that is unfolding overseas.
Former president George W. Bush also recently put out a statement of support for Ukraine on the SMU Bush Center website.
For more ways to help, consider the initiatives across national and international organizations such as UNICEF or Save the Children.
