As U.S. attention is captivated by horrors in the Middle East and Congress remains unable to send additional aid to war-torn Ukraine, an incontrovertible truth remains: The needs in Ukraine are staggering, and U.S. Christians can play a part in relieving the suffering.
For the third time since the summer 2022, Mission to the World is collecting supplies to ship to Ukrainian churches on the front line in an initiative it calls Crates for Ukraine. Ukrainian Christians then distribute the supplies to those who need them most. Churches can register now through November 10 to pack a crate with needed supplies. Crates must be dropped off at a local drop off point by November 21.
MTW first established the Crates for Ukraine initiative in 2022. Over the summer about 80 churches packed 31 tons of supplies into 1,300 crates. The supplies represented $1.5 million in aid that went directly to Ukrainians in need. The second round over the winter 2022-2023 resulted in 200 churches packing 1,360 crates.
This time, MTW hopes to mobilize 300 churches to pack 34 tons of supplies into 1,500 crates. If successful, the crates would send more than $2.5 million in aid to Ukraine. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine, MTW’s partner denomination, will distribute the aid throughout the country.
Beyond offering physical relief, Crates for Ukraine spiritually connects U.S. Christians to fellow believers they might never meet.
MTW has established 37 designated drop off points across the U.S. with the goal of having a drop off location in each state.
The deadline for delivering crates is November 21, but MTW will begin shipping supplies as soon as it has enough crates to ship. Volunteers will deliver crates from local drop points to hubs in Dallas and Chattanooga, and then the crates will be flown to the MTW team in Krakow, Poland. From Poland, the crates will be shipped to an MTW team in Lviv, Ukraine.
The Crates for Ukraine website includes step-by-step instructions on registering for a crate, packing the needed supplies, and delivering the crate at a local drop point. MTW has altered its guidelines for this round of crates. Churches must select a crate list and purchase all of the supplies on that list.
Crates for Ukraine began as a way to channel the compassion and generosity of U.S. Christians into essential aid. People wanted to assist but didn’t know how so they sometimes sent donations that did not help Ukrainians.
Beyond offering physical relief, Crates for Ukraine spiritually connects U.S. Christians to fellow believers they might never meet.
“We wanted to help the American church tie their hearts to their Ukrainian brothers and sisters,” said Kirk Norris, a member of MTW’s Ukraine team who is on home assignment.
Packing a crate is a tangible way to push back against injustice. “Here’s something you can do,” Norris said. “Here’s you not being silent in the face of evil.”
MTW has developed a map of where the crates have been delivered and included photos of aid recipients.
Doug Shepherd is part of MTW’s team in Lviv. He said the mood in Lviv is heavy as the war grinds past 600 days. “People are exhausted but resolved,” he said. “They are resolved because if you give up, you die.”
Ukrainians are resolved, but they are also traumatized by the violence that has become part of everyday life. Shepherd said he recently talked with a man living near the Kherson Presbyterian Church. The man reported that the windows of Kherson Presbyterian Church were blown out by a bomb, and the bombing gave the man a concussion.
Shepherd said the needs now are greater than when the war began, and the supplies MTW collects have been specifically requested by Ukrainian churches. The supplies range from basic hygiene products to equipment for medical trauma care like tourniquets and chest seals.
The packing lists include links for purchasing items online from Walmart or Amazon.
Norris hopes that tangible acts of mercy and kindness now will open the door to evangelism and church planting in the future.
“This is not just a declaration of solidarity,” Shepherd said. “It’s a declaration of the gospel.”