Students Come Together to Help Ukrainian Families
We know that many people want to help families in Ukraine, but most don't know how to get started. The war can seem too complicated and scary to make an impact, plus when people give to a large nonprofit, they're not sure where the money goes.
If you're searching for a way to help, take inspiration from a group of Lake Washington Girls Middle School students who recently rallied their classmates to support HUP. The students had a goal of raising $300—and they wound up raising more than $800! That money will be used to bring humanitarian aid directly to Ukrainian families.
It all started when Maja Gowans teamed up with fellow students Flora Bertrand, Evvi Geokezas, and Ella Gardner to support HUP. Maja's mom Anna started HUP and Maja shares her mom's passion for helping Ukrainians who've been impacted by the war.
Students at Lake Washington Girls Middle School create posters to raise awareness about the war and promote the bake sale.
"It's easy to think, we're not going to make that much change. But any help is so much better than no help. It all adds up to a big movement," explained Maja.
The students aimed to raise money but they knew that just telling kids to go to a website and donate likely would not work. They needed to educate their classmates about the war and get them involved in a school-wide fundraising effort. The first step was to get permission from the school. They met as a group with Head of School Dr. Lauri Conner in mid-May, and once they got the green light, they hatched a plan to run a bake sale and educational campaign.
On May 20th, Maja and her friends led the eighth-grade class meeting, during which they described the basics of the war and how it's impacting families who've fled their homes and lost everything. The class made posters to raise awareness about the war and encourage donations of money and items like medicines, clothing, toothbrushes, soap, and more. Students hung the posters around the school and worked with their Director of Communications and Marketing Emma Smith. They took videos and photos and Miss Emma posted them on the school's Instagram and other social accounts. They also started to lay the groundwork for the bake sale; Miss Emma posted an Instagram story to remind people to participate.
Next, the students took their campaign beyond the eighth grade. Lake Washington Girls Middle School runs a mentorship program called "sister groups" that involves pairing up students from the eighth, seventh, and sixth grade classes, with three students in each "sister group." In late May, these groups came together to make mini-posters and put them up all over the neighborhood, raising awareness and encouraging people to participate in the bake sale.
Maja Gowans believes that all of this groundwork was critical to the bake sale's success. "It got people thinking and it gave them more knowledge. It also gave them space and a place to help."
The students were very thoughtful about how the bake sale would work. They decided to do it on a Friday and they sold sweet treats at multiple times during the day: inside during the school's "community period" and lunch time, and right outside the gates after school. They offered a variety of goodies including cupcakes, Rice Krispie treats, biscuits, cookies, and even French pastries. Most of the baking was done by the quartet of students who organized the campaign but other eighth-graders made treats too.
Their hard work paid off. The students had a goal of raising $300 but their final tally was an amazing $800! HUP is so grateful for their efforts and planning. That money will be put to good use this summer. HUP will purchase medicines and medical supplies, clothing, hygiene items, and other humanitarian supplies for Ukrainian families and defenders. We'll use the money to pay for drivers to take these items into Ukraine with our partner IMES—and make sure they get to people in need.
Maja has great advice for other people who want to help folks in Ukaine. "The first thing is to educate yourself. Make sure you know fully what's going on so you can figure out how to help," she told us. "Raising awareness in neighborhood and community is very important. And if you have money or items to donate, it's a great thing to do. Even a little bit of money can go a long way.”
You can play a role in getting aid to families that have been displaced by the war and need your help. HUP and our partner IMES are delivering aid where it's needed most. Our operations are 100 percent run by volunteers and every dollar you give goes directly to Ukrainians. Donate now.
All photo credits: Maja Gowans