RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE
LYFT AND THE YMCA PARTNER TO SUPPORT UKRAINE RELIEF EFFORTS
Riders can now donate to the YMCA World Service Campaign's efforts to support Ukraine with every ride they take with Lyft through their Round Up & Donate program. And through Apr. 10, Lyft will match all donations up to $500,000! Learn more.
Support World Service every time you ride Lyft!
The rideshare app has expanded its existing Round Up & Donate partnership with the YMCA to drive donations to our World Service Campaign during this critical time.
Donations will go directly to the Y's Ukraine response efforts, including providing transportation, housing, food, clothing, counseling, and more for internally displaced people and Ukrainian refugees in Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Over the next month, Lyft has committed to match donations up to $500,000. Learn why on Lyft's blog.
Crisis Update 3/22
As of April 26, 2022, the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, impacting the National Council in Kyiv and local YMCAs throughout the country. Many YMCA staff and volunteers have left the country or fled their homes. Others are still working from their local YMCAs to provide services to youth, families and the elderly. More than 5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighboring countries and another estimated 6.5 million are internally displaced. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, this is the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. YMCA Europe and Y-USA are in daily contact with national and local leaders from YMCA Ukraine.
- Read a statement from World Alliance of YMCAs Secretary General Carlos Sanvee speaking out against the discrimination and hostility many refugees and citizens of African and Middle-Eastern descent are experiencing in and around Ukraine.
- Register to join a call on Mar. 24 (10 a.m. CT) to hear updates on the YMCA's humanitarian response efforts in Ukraine.
- Watch a new video message from YMCA Ukraine volunteers.
Lyft and the YMCA partner to support Ukraine relief efforts
Riders can now donate to the YMCA World Service Campaign's efforts to support Ukraine with every ride they take with Lyft through their Round Up & Donate program. And through Apr. 10, Lyft will match all donations up to $500,000! Learn more.
The YMCA Movement stands in solidarity with Ukraine and all people affected by this conflict.
Y-USA is working closely with YMCA Ukraine and YMCAs across the region to mobilize our Movement's efforts to provide financial and technical support for youth, families and communities in need.
The Role of YMCA Europe
YMCA Europe, the Area Alliance (regional resource office) for 44 national YMCA movements in Europe, is coordinating the short, mid, and long-term response plan. This includes:
- Emergency support, including food, clothing, housing, transportation and psychosocial counseling for internally displaced people and Ukrainian refugees (including Y staff and volunteers) in Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
- Support for the Ukraine YMCA response efforts in the country if/when the situation permits.
- Coordination of regional response efforts and local, national and regional partnerships.
- Support to re-establish long-term peace and reconciliation, cooperation and youth programs between Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
YMCA Europe has already disbursed emergency funds to YMCAs in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine in support of the emergency services they are providing to Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people inside Ukraine.
Updates from Local YMCAs Responding to the Crisis
Staff and volunteers from YMCA Romania, together with a coalition of 30 nonprofit organizations, have been providing support to hundreds of Ukrainian refugees arriving at the Sighetu Marmației border crossing with Ukraine in northern Romania since Feb. 24. The support includes food, clothes, hygiene products, lodging and transportation to their next destination. In addition, YMCA Romania is mobilizing material support to send to another nearby border crossing in Teceu, Transcarpatia region. YMCA Romania leaders also helped YMCA Ukraine volunteers and their families cross the Romanian border after an 80-hour trip.
YMCA Moldova, YMCA Slovakia, and YMCA Czech Republic are providing support to Ukrainian refugees arriving to their countries, including lodging, food, clothes, and other supplies. YMCA Slovakia is providing transportation from the border to safe lodging, food, clothing. Slovak leaders are also preparing several apartments as temporary lodging for Ukrainian refugees. In addition, they are coordinating with local YMCAs in Ukraine to ensure Ukrainian staff and volunteers arriving in Slovakia can be quickly supported by the YMCA.
YMCA Germany, YMCA Spain, YMCA Lithuania, Vilnius Community Ys Men's Club and other European partners are sending medical and health supplies to Ukraine for youth and families.
YMCAs across Europe (Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and more) are also coordinating with local and national authorities to provide support to refugees arriving to European countries from Ukraine, including shelter at YMCA facilities and the provision of other basic services such as food, clothing, hygiene products and psycho-social support.
The YMCA was established in Ukraine in 1902. After being banned from 1917 to 1991 when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, the YMCA was reorganized and restarted in 1993.
There are 25 local YMCAs around the country reaching tens of thousands of youth and young adults each year through programs focused on sports, camping, psychosocial counseling, performing arts, HIV prevention, international exchanges and civic engagement.
Ukrainian YMCAs in Lviv Rivne, Lutsk, Karpaty and Ternopil in the west and Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv in the east are providing emergency support to the local community and the thousands of internally displaced people arriving from conflict impacted communities. This includes food, shelter, and overall support for youth, families, and the elderly. Learn more about YMCA Ukraine's response.
Stories from Ukraine
Hear directly from members of our Y family who are experiencing the conflict firsthand:
How to Help
Funds are critically needed to support the YMCA's efforts to address the urgent needs of those impacted by the crisis in Ukraine. YMCA World Service, the national annual campaign of the U.S. Y Movement to support the critical work of YMCAs around the world, launched an emergency appeal on Feb. 24. Here are three ways you can support the appeal:
- Make a gift at https://www.ymca.org/Crisis-in-Ukraine
- Set "YMCA World Service" as your charity of choice in the Lyft ride share app, and support YMCA Ukraine every time you ride! Learn how.
- Use the messaging in this one pager to inform your colleagues, volunteers and members about how they can support this effort
Heartfelt thanks to the more than 680 individual and local Y donors who have already contributed. Y-USA has received donations and pledges for more than $236,000 as of Mar. 24. Y-USA will send these resources to YMCA Europe to strengthen and expand emergency services in Ukraine and the neighboring countries hosting refugees. Additionally, YMCA Europe has raised more than $250,000 from other YMCA partners and donors from around the world.
Make a Gift Today