The large BVB family is sticking together, donating and organising to help the people affected by the war in Ukraine…
The large BVB family is sticking together, donating and organising to help the people affected by the war in Ukraine. Trucks with medical supplies and donations in kind are already on their way to Ukraine.
“We are in a humanitarian catastrophe. We need the essential things to survive,” said Imke Hansen in the BVB-Podcast. Together with her colleagues from the aid organisation Libereco, she is currently making sure that as many medical supplies as possible get into the country, but is repeatedly faced with hurdles: “There is a lot of confusion, a lot of things are constantly changing. Even the big organisations didn’t expect such a rapid destabilisation of the humanitarian situation.” Moreover, “Since things are needed everywhere, it is important to bring medicine and food into the country. But it has to be prevented that it piles up on one side and on the other side there is nothing,” said Hansen. “Places that are in the news a lot get special attention, others less.”
In cooperation with the municipal hospitals and the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Westphalia-Lippe, Borussia Dortmund also supports Libereco’s work. With monetary donations amounting to six figures, medical supplies have been ordered so that 160 tonnes of relief supplies are on their way to Ukraine. The next aid truck is already packed.
Further donations are possible here via the BVB foundation “leuchte auf” (light up). In addition, the solidarity ribbon “#StandWithUkraine” in the Ukrainian national colours yellow and blue is available in the BVB Online shop for 10 EUR, 25 EUR or 100 EUR. The net proceeds will go to Libereco. The aid organisation is also looking for contacts with companies in logistics and production. “If companies send us trucks with supplies or make trucks available to us, that is a great help,” said Imke Hansen.
76 pallets on the way, 22 packed
Almost two kilometres away from the municipal clinics in Westfalenhalle 1, volunteers from “Grenzenlose Wärme Refugee Relief Work” sort donations in kind for those affected by the war in Ukraine. The organisation has been accepting donations there for more than a week, and in the meantime more than 100 helpers were working every day. They started with a stock of 41,000 items, now there are 492,000 items. “We had hoped for this response,” said Sebastian Heinze from “Grenzenlose Wärme”. 76 pallets of clothes, hygiene items and medical supplies are already on their way to Ukraine, 22 more pallets will follow soon.
Further donations can be handed in at the Westfalenhalle from 10:00 to 18:00 CET on Thursday 10 March. You can find lists of what is needed here. You can also sign up as a helper and lend a hand. You can enter your contact details here. “It is important that no one sets out on their own. There are reports of people being mugged in Poland,” said Heinze. “Besides, you’re driving near a war zone. That should be left to those who know about it.” (cr)
