Updated December 13, 2022 – At this time, our trusted partner for donations for ongoing humanitarian aid to Ukraine is Young Life Ukraine, who is currently raising funds to provide generators and Vivoblu water filters to care for the people of Ukraine. Donate & learn more

Included in this post:

• Press Release (includes filter fundraiser information)
• Links to 2 television press stories
• Video (11-minute) with John DeYoung and Sarah Davison-Tracy about our trip and 3 ways you can JOIN us
• A glimpse of Great Ukraine, one of our on-the-ground partners
• List of our current partners in Ukraine

I am truly overJOYed to be able to share this opportunity with you, because I believe it feels good to be able to do something, together, to care for our sisters and brothers in Ukraine. Simply watching news and feeling like there is nothing we can do to help is so hard. And donating to an organization that doesn’t have boots on the ground in Ukraine can mean that the funds and aid never make it. But THIS … this is something we can do to bring relief and love to our friends in Ukraine – personally and soon! 

Press Release

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

DENVER, CO – April 25, 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, melting snow or 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 – they are literally fighting until they die of dehydration.

Water for All has assembled a team to head to Poland on May 2, 2022 where their partners on the ground are waiting to deploy 6,000 Vivoblu portable water filtration systems over the next month. These 6,000 filters will make clean water possible for 90,000 people. Founder of Seeds of Exchange, Sarah Davison-Tracy, is joining this humanitarian group in order to collaborate in the deployment of water filters and to urgently raise funds for this life-saving mission. There are a lot of people with big hopes who are making big promises about delivering aid to Ukraine right now. But due to all kinds of complex factors, not all of this aid is making it into Ukraine. We have one of the only pathways into Russian-occupied Ukraine right now through on-the-ground partners.

“We take stewardship seriously. Accountability is one of our core values. 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.” –John DeYoung, Founder of Vivoblu

This project came about when an underground organization of freedom fighters asked Water For All (WFA) to bring filters. These freedom fighters are running vans and buses in and out of Ukraine every day to bring in humanitarian supplies and evacuate Ukrainians from Russian occupied territories. In addition, WFA has established connections with other NGOs who are currently operating in Ukraine who will be able to help with filter distribution as soon as the filters are delivered to them.

Seeds of Exchange is an organization that responds to humanitarian crises around the globe. Their monthly giving fund is dedicated to Water for All for the months of May and June in order to raise funds for the Ukrainian water mission. So far, over half of the $390,000 needed to deploy this first round of water filters has been raised. A $65.00 donation provides clean drinking water 15 people for 2-3 years. Our long-term vision is to provide 1.5 million Ukrainians a filter so they can have safe, clean water each day. Help us to make this a viral fundraiser for these life-saving filters.

Updated December 13, 2022 – At this time, our trusted partner for donations for ongoing humanitarian aid to Ukraine is Young Life Ukraine, who is currently raising funds to provide generators and Vivoblu water filters to care for the people of Ukraine. Donate & learn more

About Seeds of Exchange
Seeds of Exchange is a mission-driven organization that is creating good in the world through inspiring people to make a local and global difference, together, through community, storytelling, and giving. They passionately work to make an indelible dent in global human rights and in one another’s day-to-day lives. They connect individuals, non-profits, government agencies, or businesses, in order to increase the ability of each to make a unique and significant impact.

Thanks to Lisa McAlister, Founder of With Good Cause, for her help in crafting this press release.

Thanks to Ryan Carter for his featured photo. | More of Ryan’s photos of the Ukraine war here.

Links to 2 television press stories

7-news story | April 30, 2022

Russian attacks in Ukraine have left many cities without access to safe water, risking disease and death according to UNICEF.

Advocates say it’s one of the deadliest aspects of war that is often overlooked: drinkable water.

Russian attacks in Ukraine have left many cities without access to safe water, risking disease and death according to UNICEF. -Rob Harris | Read – and WATCH full story in above link

Fox news story | May 1, 2022

Monday, members of the nonprofit Water for All and the group Seeds of Exchange will fly to Poland in an effort to provide Ukrainians with clean drinking water.

“It’s a very purpose-built filter,” Founder of Vivoblu, John DeYoung said.

DeYoung created the Vivoblu filter which is a portable water filter that lasts for years, he said. -Lisa D’Souza | Read – and WATCH full story in above link

Video conversation about our trip to Ukraine and Poland

In this 11-minute conversation with John DeYoung, a dear friend and maker of the purpose-built Vivoblu water filter, we talk about our trip to Ukraine and Poland and THREE ways you can JOIN US.

1. Updated December 13, 2022 – At this time, our trusted partner for donations for ongoing humanitarian aid to Ukraine is Young Life Ukraine, who is currently raising funds to provide generators and Vivoblu water filters to care for the people of Ukraine. Donate & learn more
2. SHARE with 3 friends so this trip and our filter fundraiser become a community-led viral campaign. As John says, “It takes a village to change the world!” Reach out to us if you know of organizations or communities in Ukraine who are in need of safe, clean water.
3. PoP (Place of Pause). Life is not easy for many right now. A nudge: Take a moment to pause, to BE, to breathe. Whether you call this prayer, meditation, mindfulness … fill up your cup. Don’t give up hope. Don’t go it alone.

A glimpse of Great Ukraine, one of our on-the-ground partners

APRIL 22, 2022 “Hello, my name is Irina Skaya and I am a Ukrainian-American. On February 24 of this year, Russia invaded an independent and sovereign country: my Ukraine. My life and the lives of all Ukrainians forever changed.

Just like thousands of others, I knew I had to help.

I contacted my cousin in Kyiv and asked if he knew anyone who was helping to evacuate the most vulnerable … and that is how The Great Ukraine was born. I was able to get in touch with Alex Voronin, who along with some friends was bravely evacuating people on his own.

I knew that with some support and funding, we could grow what they were doing and help thousands. Using my savings I started buying vans and medical essentials for our group. Alex’s team would pick up the vans, and together with a team I assembled, we would set up the logistics to make sure we would be able to get people out safely. Our operation has expanded and we now have 5 vans, 1 bus, and 1 ambulance.

We have 50 experienced drivers ready 24/7 and a team of 25 who set up the requests from Ukrainians needing assistance. We deliver medication, medical supplies, and food daily to those most in need throughout Ukraine.

We are a grassroots organization and we are run and operated by Ukrainians along with the help of very kind American, European contacts.

Quick glance at our work thus far:

• Gathered a team of 8 American medics and flew them to the border of Poland and they are now helping to treat refugees coming out of Ukraine
• Set up a meeting with the UN and they have been sending food to us so we can deliver all across Ukraine
• We receive emails every day from hospitals and mayors in Ukraine with a list of the urgent supplies they require. We source what we can and move it to the front lines ourselves.
• Contacted an IT company who wanted to help and together we have built 8 shelters in Ukraine for displaced people. We provide them with a bed, food, medical care, and transportation to their next destination. We secured warehouse space in 4 locations in western Ukraine and 2 in Poland.
• We have successfully evacuated over 10,000+ people by our own vehicles and escort groups. This includes women, children, elderly, wounded and large groups of orphans.
• We have delivered more than 1500 tons of food and medical supplies.
• We recently evacuated 380 people from Mariupol.

We have done all of this with our own money, hard work, and very little sleep.

Our team has decided that this is our calling and we have thrown ourselves into this humanitarian effort.