(Official Announcement!!!!)
The Sunflower Project:
Emergency Relief for Ukraine
Rick Wilson (me) and Kevin Tzaddi Raison are partnering to create an NGO that will obtain and deliver emergency aid to the people of Ukraine. Focus to begin with is on medical supplies and other non-lethal aid, like body armor for medics.
It’s time for Americans from our communities to get in this thing in a meaningful way.
Project is about ways that Americans can help Ukrainians. And about the things that a small, nimble, guerilla aid group can get done that the large institutional charities cannot do or are failing to get done.
Kevin is setting things up in Europe, and I am building the organization in the States for now, and will join him in Europe soon.
We both have contacts in Ukraine and Poland that we are working with, and are getting more every day. Details of operations will come in next couple weeks.
Will need tons of help, volunteers, and cash donations. Already working with some early key staff, will be reaching out to more. If we are sometimes slow in getting back, know that we are working 20 hour days trying to build this organization from ground up. (I will let everyone know how to donate in a week or so when we have that system set up.)
The plan is simple in concept;
- Collect donations and volunteer help in USA. (We are prioritizing cash donations, but will be sourcing some hard to find items stateside.)
- Collect aid supplies at our base near Ukraine.
- Load aid into vans and trucks, deliver aid to Ukraine. (Kevin is purchasing a vehicle in the next couple days.)
- Widely publicize us doing the things above, and also the situation on the ground. Leverage this publicity and media and social media engagement to get more donations and volunteers.
- Repeat.
The plan is simple. The details are a bit overwhelming.
I will be back in Seattle in a couple weeks or so, and am going to be having meetings with those who want to join the project.
Also, am going to try to set up a fund-raising party or show. Will need help with that. Short notice, but things are moving fast.
Also also, we are setting up legal status, banking, social media, a website, key staff, a shipping system, a European home base (almost certainly in Poland), and so, so many more details.
Ok. More info will follow over next few weeks.
Thank you all!