**UPDATE: Thank you everyone for all your generous donations!!! We met our original goal of $15,000 within 2.5 days and are grateful for all who have donated and shared. The need is obviously greater than this amount so we are still accepting all donations. We will continue to forward donations to Stanislav and those helping him as they assist refugees find safety. I'm in constant communication with Stanislav and we'll post more updates in the coming days.

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Hi, my name is Dallin. I lived in Ukraine from 2006 to 2008 and am devastated watching the destruction and suffering there right now. One of the most heartbreaking things I'm hearing about from friends in Ukraine is the separation of families. Since Ukrainian men are required to stay and fight, many women and children are traveling alone to safer cities in the western part of the country. Most will only temporarily stay in these western cities before leaving the country. One of my Ukrainian friends, Stanislav, has two large basement apartments near Lviv (western Ukraine) that he plans to convert into temporary shelters for women and children fleeing the war. He hopes to raise funds to build walls, floors, bathrooms, and a small kitchen in each location and purchase two diesel generators (in case of power outages), bunk beds, and mattresses. He estimates that they can provide continual shelter for 100-150 people between both locations. These refugees can stay in these shelters while figuring out how to eventually travel abroad or seek refuge in smaller villages in the Carpathian mountains. The basement locations (with no windows) will also provide protection from possible air raids. Stanislav already has volunteers to help do all the construction and he estimates that they can have the shelters ready within 1-2 weeks once they have the funds. 

Along with building these shelters, Stanislav also plans to provide transportation for women and children out of the cities most affected by fighting and air raids. While many people have fled cities, there are still many more who would like to leave but don't have the means or access to transportation necessary to flee their homes. Funds raised will also pay for fuel, food, and water for the journey. 

Stanislav plans to collect receipts and document how all the money is spent. He will also share photos of the progress and final results as refugees use the spaces in the coming weeks and months. I have known Stanislav for 13 years. His untiring efforts to do all he can to help is one example among many of the resilient Ukrainian spirit that the world is witnessing now. Hopefully, this project will provide some sense of security for the women and children it serves, who are currently experiencing so much uncertainty and fear about their future. 

Below are some photos of the apartments as they now stand: 

Here is their location (in relation to each other)

Apartment #1 - 101m2 (1087 sq ft)

Apartment #2 - 78m2 (840 sq. ft)