CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the middle of an international crisis, people in Charlotte are working to send help and resources to those who are thousands of miles away in Ukraine and those surrounding countries.
Samaritan's Purse is one organization that has close ties to Ukraine, with more than 3,000 churches across the country that they work with. Now, Samaritan's Purse is providing teams in Poland, Romania, and Moldova the help needed to provide food, shelter, and clothing to those in need.
“These countries will not be prepared for the influx of 100,000 people or 200,000 people or if the conflict continues for some time a million people and it's going to take not just Samaritan’s Purse but a number of agencies to care for them," Franklin Graham said.
In a Facebook post, Graham also explained how important it is for religious leaders to stand strong during these trying times.
“They just need prayer. We need to pray for them," Graham said. "Can you imagine the fear these people are living under right now?"
Kateryna Panova is a Ukrainian currently living in Charlotte, but her father and several co-workers remain in her home country where she worries for their safety.
“'Safe' is a weird word right now, but just getting some kind of help," she said.
Over the past 48 hours, she's hosted live online discussions with immigration attorneys to help provide information about how Ukrainians may be able to safely seek asylum and other protections.
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“We’re really hoping that Ukrainians can get a temporary protective status and lots of Ukrainians are writing to their senators and congressmen to grant that status," Panova said.
On Saturday, Feb. 26, members of the community plan to gather for another rally in Uptown to show their support for Ukraine.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.