A woman on the front lines in Ukraine says that Okanagan Gleaners is saving many lives in that war-torn country.
Laura Allan from Shelters International Disaster Response (SIDR) couldn’t thank these volunteers enough during a recent presentation at the Oliver dried food mixing plant on Road 3.
Allan, with partner Jim Frank gave a touching account of what it’s like distributing food and supplies to Ukraine families while missiles navigated the air.
Allan has been delivering countless soup mixes to starving villagers who can’t leave or refuse to abandon their homes while bombing continues.
With a military escort, Allan accessed areas that never saw any help since the war began. She will never forget one old woman who came out of her house and yelled, ‘They found us . . . we matter!’ That summed up the entire trip for Allan.
“They are all seniors who have been left there. How they face this barrage on a daily basis is incredible.”
Allan reiterated the Gleaners’ soup mixes are making a huge difference.
“Every potato you’ve peeled, every carrot you’ve peeled, every onion you’ve chopped has made a difference.”
Allan said she observed seniors with tears in their eyes when she handed them the soup mixes.
“What you do matters more than you could ever know.”
The relief worker said these seniors are not going to leave everything they have struggled to build in Ukraine, including their gardens.
“There is no place for them to go, no way to get out.”
Allan recalled moments when she was travelling in their SUV that was pushed by the wind created by the missiles that flew overhead.
“I felt the Russian claws on my butt because there was actually a bombing of the train station just as I left.”
Frank said you can’t see where the missiles are coming from or where they are going to land.
Allan noted that the Ukraine people are so nonchalant about it.
“Ukrainians are the strongest people I have ever met in my entire life. It’s really hard to be nonchalant when it’s ‘kaboom, kaboom, kaboom.’”
But the fact is you have no choice but to find strength, she pointed out.
Allan noted that it’s “unspeakable” what is happening in Ukraine right now. She rode in armoured personnel carriers to access places where one would think nobody was around amongst the rubble, but people were “coming out of nowhere” to say thank you.
“I’m going to go back as soon as possible and find those who haven’t been found and keep doing it no matter how many missiles I gotta dodge.”
Frank said the word is out that the Gleaners provides the best relief goods possible.
“What you make, there’s nothing better. You have real food that is going to last them,” he said, comparing what other goods are being donated such as potato chips, cookies, and pasta.
Moving around in the Ukraine is straight out of a spy movie. You need passwords and a paid commander if you want to access certain zones, according to Allan.
She said curfews are unbreakable. If you move beyond a certain hour the military will think you’re the enemy and will shoot you.
“I need a lighter bullet proof vest,” Allan said without joking. You can buy a lighter one for $700 but she can’t afford it.
With all that gear on, forget about running or moving quickly, she noted, adding she was never a jogger anyway.
When asked if Canada is helping with her expenses, she said it’s all on her personal line of credit – two trips to Ukraine cost her $13,000.
Allan said one donation amounted to $200 for oatmeal that was distributed.
One anecdote she shared was driving in the dead of night and having a tire fly off one of their vehicles.
“I’m out with my cell phone flashlight trying to find the tire, but I’m not going into the field for fear of mines. That’s beyond my pay grade, I’m a volunteer.”
Allan said she can’t get the air raid sirens out of her head, adding it’s now a part of her that she can’t turn off.
As for the casualties of war, Allan said the numbers are much higher than reported to the media.
“How much truth is getting out? I don’t think any of us is getting the truth on the number of casualties.”
Frank said Ukraine’s president basically admitted they are not releasing casualty figures because they don’t want to panic or depress people until after the war is over.
Allan said even some of the elderly with bad knees want to take up arms against the Russians. She noted the enemy is using some criminals as soldiers since many Russians are trying to get out of the country.
Allan said she’s hoping the media tells the real stories from Ukraine.
“These people need to be seen. When I close my eyes, every face that I handed a bag of soup mix to is in my head.”
Frank said he doesn’t think anyone is lining up to be part of Russia, accept perhaps American actor Steven Seagal. The actor defended his visit to a prisoner of war camp last summer, reportedly spreading Russian propaganda.
Allan said the morale of the Ukrainian soldiers remains strong despite the circumstances.
