COLORADO TEAM RETURNS TO UKRAINE TO PROVIDE CLEAN WATER TO WAR-TORN AREAS – URGENT NEED

DENVER, CO – August 9, 2022 | Most of us cannot imagine what it’s like to live in a war zone. For millions of Ukrainians, that reality happened seemingly overnight and the destruction and suffering that this war has created is staggering.

Access to clean water is just one of the life-threatening situations in which Ukrainians find themselves. Millions of people who are living in areas decimated by bombs or have fled to the woods or mountains do not have clean drinking water. People are desperate and using straws to drink from puddles or are gathering water from ponds and rivers.

These are not safe, clean water sources, and many are getting sick – some are dying. Reports have been confirmed that frontline soldiers are dying of dehydration because they don’t have access to safe water.

Vivoblu (www.vivoblu.com) and Seeds of Exchange (www.seedsofexchange.org) have assembled a team to return to Ukraine in August to Kyiv and war-torn areas of the country. Their mission is to provide life-saving water filters to the people of Ukraine, including portable water bags to soldiers and refugees, and to gather intimate stories that connect people around the world with what can be done to care for the people of Ukraine.

“We can’t stop the bombs from falling, but we can save lives by providing clean, safe water to the people of Ukraine,” says Sarah Davison-Tracy, Founder of Seeds of Exchange.

“The need is hard to fathom, and we are working to help as many Ukrainians as we can, as fast as we can by working every available connection,” says John DeYoung, Founder and CEO of Vivoblu. “Each of our filters can serve 15-20 Ukrainians for 2-3 years.”

When John and Sarah were in Ukraine in May of 2022, they heard over and over from Ukrainians, “Do not let the world forget us. Please, keep telling our stories.” When they returned home, they did just that – and they have not stopped.

“We made a promise to people to help make sure they’re not forgotten, to tell their stories – to make the cause personal to as many people as we can,” says Davison-Tracy.

“Every one of those people has a story, has a family, has a life filled with dreams they want to live for. We don’t want the world to forget them,” says DeYoung.

Vivoblu takes stewardship seriously. Accountability is one of their core values. DeYoung says, “We are transparent in what we say, what we do and how we do it. We are actively partnering with Ukrainians and US NGOs to ensure that every water filter gets into the hands of the families who most desperately need it. This is a life and death situation and we are treating it as such.”

Their ultimate aim is to provide water filters for 1.5 million people in Ukraine through partnerships with Ukrainian and international government bodies and humanitarian aid funds, and by directly donating filters through on-the-ground NGOs, governing officials, and private citizens who are serving the people of Ukraine today. A $65.00 donation provides clean drinking water to 15 people for 2-3 years. Donations can be made at bit.ly/SeedsGivingFund.

Also on the team is Brandon Davison-Tracy, founding partner of Seeds of Exchange and pediatrician at Colorado Kids Pediatrics, and Jill Tupper (www.jilltupper.com), who is a speaker, leadership innovator, and founder of the Warrior Training: The Neuroscience of Calming within The Chaos of War, which she taught when she was in Ukraine for six weeks in May and June, 2022.

About Seeds of Exchange
Seeds of Exchange is a mission-driven organization that responds to humanitarian crises around the globe. They seek to create good in the world through inspiring people to make a local and global difference through community, storytelling, and giving. Passionately working to make an indelible dent in global human rights and in one another’s day-to-day lives, Seeds connects individuals, non-profits, government agencies, or businesses, in order to increase the ability of each to make a unique and significant impact. www.seedsofexchange.org

CONTACT: LISA MCALISTER
303.931.0955, LISA@WITHGOODCAUSE.COM