USMB is joining with Slavic church leaders in Spokane as they organize volunteer teams to provide supplies for refugees. I invite you to join them in prayer for the people of Ukraine.
Don Morris
USMB National Director
Ukraine Update March 12th
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued prayers and support as the crisis prolongs in Ukraine. We wanted to bring you a quick weekend update:
This week, over 60 volunteers gathered to sort and pack clothing items, medicine, hygiene supplies, and nonperishable food items for refugees who are either fleeing or sheltering in hot zones. The amount of donations that we have received has been so abundant and has come so quickly that our team has had to work hard to keep up!
Yesterday, a shipment of packaged boxes was sent by plane to Ukraine, carrying the most urgently needed items and medical supplies. Boxes carrying clothing items and items of secondary importance will follow by sea. Our team has focused its efforts on distributing supplies to volunteers who will deliver directly to the families in the areas most affected by heavy shelling and artillery fire.
One of the most pressing needs this week is to raise funds to pay for the shipping fees for the packaged humanitarian goods.
Pacific Keep Church has set up a specific fund to gather donations for humanitarian aid for Ukraine. This fund will support churches and nonprofits in Ukraine that are connected to the Spokane Slavic community. Access the fund by clicking the button below.
Prayer Needs
- That the Lord Himself would miraculously make a way for families and children to escape cities such as Mariupol and Kharkiv that have been heavily under siege and cut off from access to electricity, water, food, and medicine for many days.
- For the safe passage of all refugees seeking shelter at international border points.
- For the safety and protection of all food and supply drivers and transporters delivering to those in need.
- Wisdom for our team’s coordination efforts.
- An end to the war and restoration of peace.
Refugee U.S. Resettlement Update
There are no changes here from our last update. Currently, there is still no direct path for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine to come to the United States. The State Department has offered the following guidance:
Ukrainians who came on a visa to the United States before March 1, 2022 can apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) through USCIS.gov.
Current Lautenberg applicants (family reunification cases) which were being processed in Ukraine and have since changed location should write to RSC Eurasia at icc@iom.int and inform the RSC of their new location and contact details.
The Lautenberg program to apply for Family Reunification is currently closed, but we expect it to open sometime in later Spring. Congress has to approve it every year.
The State Department is working on getting more info and we will pass it along when it is available.
