Deirdre O Meara 
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is keeping the world on edge, not knowing what might happen next. But without a doubt, the ones that are suffering the most are the Ukrainian people, who live day by day in fear of losing their homes, workplaces, or even their lives.
This has propelled many around the world to step in, donate, and offer monetary help to aid Ukrainians affected by distressing events. Fortunately, you can also help from Ireland. Some different charities and foundations are working day and night to collect donations and send them to Ukraine.
With the rising uncertainty in Eastern Europe, taking action from your country and doing what you can with the resources available is important and welcomed. That is why we have prepared essential information about different Irish charities that are truly working to help Ukraine and its people.
Among different charities, there is one called “Safe Harbor for Ukraine“, which you can find on its official GoFundMe page. This campaign has the initial objective of collecting 100,000 euros, and they are already quite close because they exceeded the 80,000 euros collected.
The campaign is promoted by a group of friends from Cork in Ireland, and its goal is to take a bus full of essential products to the border between Poland and Ukraine. In addition, they plan to bring back the bus with 40 women and children who were displaced from their homes due to the war.
They are also looking for places where these people can be temporarily housed. You can help them by donating, and if you don’t have the money you can also help by sharing their project on social media. You can donate by clicking on the following link https://gofund.me/a05fce60
- Unicef Ireland
Another organization that is actively seeking funds to help Ukraine is Unicef Ireland. Unicef is known worldwide for seeking donations to help people with fewer resources, and it is the UN agency that has been in charge of the Children’s Emergency Fund since 1946. Currently, Unicef Ireland is collecting donations to help the kids in Ukraine, and you can choose the option to donate monthly, or make a one-time donation. You will be able to track your donation, see where your money goes, and see how it impacts the lives of Ukrainian children. You can donate here https://www.unicef.ie/donate/ukraine/#1
- Irish Red Cross
The Irish Red Cross is also working to obtain resources and send them to Ukraine. They have already managed to collect more than 12 million euros in donations, which are destined for the people who are in Ukraine, and for those Ukrainians who are refugees in other countries. You can also choose between donating different amounts (€50, €75, or €150) or any amount of your choice. You can also sign up as a monthly donor to the organization, to help the different causes that the Irish Red Cross helps. You can check more about it by clicking the following link https://donate.redcross.ie/
- Pryvit
Pryvit is another organization that is actively working to raise funds to help the Ukrainian people. On their website, they bring together different company offers, which you can find listed therein “Find Offers”, and there you can find the different people and what they need. Pryvit pipeline offers a direct way of helping Ukrainians by ensuring that the people on the other side get their needs met. You can find more information on their website at https://pryvit.ie/
Help People arriving from Ukraine To Ireland
Another way to offer support is to create a safe haven and a place to stay for Ukrainian refugees fleeing war. There are a couple of organizations that have enhanced their efforts to help connect refugees with Europeans who are open to welcoming them into their homes. These initiatives are meant to alleviate the experience of entering a foreign territory after leaving the mother country.
If you live in Ireland and have a space where you can invite Ukrainians free of rent, you are more than eligible to help. This generous act will help shelter people who have found themselves in endangered situations offer them a safe temporary home during their first moments in Ireland. There are also ways you can make a contribution without hosting refugees in your home.
Here we will show you the different ways to offer support, which include, but are not limited to receiving people from Ukraine who are escaping war.
As an Irish citizen, one thing you can do is offer accommodation to refugees arriving from Ukraine. Depending on your possibilities and hosting capacity, you can invite Ukrainian families and individuals to your home and offer a single room, or land a property you don’t currently use. To do this safely, it’s best to offer yourself as a host on an official website, especially the Irish Red Cross site. You can do it by entering the following link https://registerofpledges.redcross.ie/#/
Another way to show kindness and help is to volunteer. You can choose volunteering activities based on the skills you already have, such as helping Ukrainians learn the language. Some people help by bringing them food, offering work opportunities, or offering to take care of the children who arrive from Ukraine while their parents are still away. To see the different volunteering programs where you can offer yourself, do not hesitate to check the following link https://registerofpledges.redcross.ie/#/
The organization GoingFar is looking for Irish employers who want to hire Ukrainian refugees. You don’t have to own a large company to be able to employ them, generally, any type of enterprise is accepted. You can find more information here http://goingfar.co
There are hundreds of ways to help. You can become a part of the existing initiative, volunteer, or create an initiative yourself to offer what you can to those who need assistance, or supplies. For example, if you know that in your city there is a center where refugees are received, you can organize a clothing donation collection to take them or give them a few cups of hot coffee, which is always helpful.
If you can, don’t hesitate to make a change and help those in need. Remember that help can not only come in form of monetary support and donations but in form of basic human solidarity and kindness in everyday situations.
