Hope House and Rotary sponsor supplies to Ukraine front lines

BONNERS FERRY — Hope House of Boundary County and Bonners Ferry Rotary are joining forces to collect humanitarian supplies for a war-torn front-line region in Ukraine.

“Our mission is to find suitable locations for drop boxes that will be used to collect humanitarian supplies for Ukraine in late August,” Seth Kinkade, one of the organizers, told the Herald.

“Hope House and Rotary are jointly sponsoring a container of much-needed supplies to be sent to the front-line region of the Ukraine war, as well as the villages that have been severely affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam,” Kinkade said.

The supplies will be shipped to Kherson, Ukraine, by container in late August. At this time Kherson residents live under constant artillery shelling, flooding from the destruction of the local dam, and extensive mining of fields and roads. Schools, shopping centers, homes and hospitals have been destroyed, leaving residents without clothing, supplies and food.

Local organizers have partnered with Kherson Rotary Club, Eurasia Grain and the Mennonite Agro Capital Management groups in Ukraine, who will directly distribute these items and assist residents and small farmers in the Kherson region by providing necessities for residents caught in the crossfire.

Kinkade said it is hard to sit by when you see full farms are flooded and farm depots are destroyed due to war.

Shipping costs $7,500 and the organizers have already raised $4,000 thanks to Hope House and the Church of the Nazarene.

Organizers are looking for donations of clothing, bedding, health and sanitation products, children’s toys and more.

In order to collect the necessary items, organizers are asking businesses and locations across Boundary County to join the effort and allow drop boxes to be placed at their locations.

“We are therefore appealing to churches, grocery stores, businesses and government offices to provide us with a convenient location for the collection of these supplies,” Kinkade said.

Anyone willing to host a humanitarian box or is interested in learning more should reach out to the organizers Eli Pine or Kinkade.

Seth Kinkade can be reached at 831-917-9525 or pgkinkade@gmail.com; and Eli Pine, can be reached at 208-946-9947 or elipine.116@gmail.com.

At this time, Safeway, The Church of Latter Day Saints on Alderson Lane, Kootenai River Brewing Company, Riverside Auto, Family Flooring, El Internet and the Bonners Ferry Herald are hosting drop box locations.