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PLEASE help our friends in UKRAINE!!

  • Glory to Ukraine!!!

      22 July 2022
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    It’s been a few months since this outrageous Russian invasion of Ukraine began and the terrible war rages on, with so many lives ended or horribly disrupted by Putin’s immoral attempt to wipe a country and its people off the map.

    Thankfully, our friends from Kyiv – Alex & Maria and Ibra – are still safe. They are weathering the war as best they can, taking each day as it comes while ensuring their families are protected.

    The money we all raised for them – nearly NZ$4500 – has been incredibly helpful since their livelihoods were thrown into disarray when they were forced to leave Kyiv. Frustratingly, it took a while to get all the money to them because NZ banks are understandably wary of money being sent to Ukraine ending up in the wrong hands – i.e. Russians. But after a bit of trial and error, we got the money to them and it has helped immensely. So thank you all so much!

    Our friends would also like to thank you all for heeding the call to help people in a far off land whom you don’t know, but kind-heartedly and generously felt empathy for. It’s acts of kindness and generosity that make all the difference when the world is being torn apart by an evil abuse of power – a sentiment that will see Ukraine and its people prevail in one form or another against the enemy.

    Alex & Maria Glushenko: “We are so grateful for your empathy, moral and financial support despite the thousands of kilometres between us. It is valuable to feel the care of people from all over the world in this difficult time for us and our country. God bless you!”

    Ibra Na: “To Barney & Kate and all friends from New Zealand, thank you all for your donation to us at this hard time. I have received the money and it helped me and my family. Much love to you and all respect.”

    There is no end in sight for this horrible war. Putin insists he’s only just begun, and it seems clear his intentions are to annex large swaths of Ukrainian territory, which will impact Ukrainian lives not just now but for generations to come. The West has rallied in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians, though there is so much more we could be doing. Please don’t tire of hearing about the war, as dreadful as it all is. The country and its people continue to need our help and support. We must keep in mind the power of unity and empathy to achieve peace – peace on Ukrainian terms, not Putin’s. Please continue to help them whenever and wherever you can. Peace and freedom and democracy are the cornerstones of a dignified life. Glory to Ukraine!!!

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  • Money on it's way... thanks to you all!!!

      25 March 2022
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    Hey everyone! We've just sent the first chunk of money to Ibra and his family and Alex & Maria and their family!! US$1000 to each family. Plus more when the fundraiser has finished & been finalised. The fund doesn't close till the end of the month so please do feel free to throw a bit more into the pot. We've all donated NZ$4400 so far and we were hoping to get to $5K... so close!! And in case you were wondering, Ibra & family are still in a small town south of Kyiv, so still very close to the fighting, while Alex & Maria & family are in western Ukraine, which has come under fire from the Russian invaders/oppressors. Pavlo, another friend of ours from Kyiv (he's on the right in the group pic against a wall), has made it safely into Poland with his family, while Nick's (tall fella in a couple of pics on this page) family has made it out of Ukraine and all the way down to Brisbane, Australia!! There's even a Channel 7 news story about them if you want to watch a heartwarming story in the midst of all this chaos and carnage & see what donating to such a good cause can achieve!! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS76u7NjM2Y&ab_channel=7NEWSAustralia)

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  • Almost at 4K! Another $49 will do it!!

      14 March 2022
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    Hey generous friends & family! We're $49 away from raising $4K for our struggling friends in Ukraine! We know you've already been very generous, but if just one of you can manage to donate another $49, we'll hit $4K and can get onto closing the fundraiser & getting this much needed money to them in war ravaged Ukraine! It also means we won't have to bug you anymore! Now that's money well spent! Go on, you know want to! Much love & thanks, Barney & Kate on behalf of Maria & Alexandr Glushenko and Ibra Na & family. xx

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  • Closing out Barney & Kate's fund for Ukraine friends

      9 March 2022
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    Hey guys, we've just brought the closing date for the fundraiser forward so we can begin planning getting the money to our friends in Ukraine: Maria & Alex and Ibra & his family. So if you haven't donated yet, please do asap. Or if you're planning to share the link with friends (or already have), please follow up. It always helps. There's still time to make a difference. Thanks everyone!

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  • We're getting there!!

      8 March 2022
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    Hey all! Thanks so much to those who've donated! It means a lot & will make a difference! Please share the link to our Give A Little fundraiser asap so we can gather as much money as possible to send to Maria & Alexandr and Ibra & his family. We'd like to be able to forward as much as 1000 euro to each set of friends so we only need a few hundred more NZ dollars to get there! If you can manage another donation in the next few days, you're a bloody legend. Otherwise do please encourage your friends & family to donate a little... or a lot! And just to update you on their welfare: Ibra has escaped Kyiv with his family to a small village south of the city, while Maria & Alex are with family somewhere in western Ukraine. Still very much in the path of the war & struggling to stay positive in such difficult times, though they're all very brave & resolute. Much love, Barney & Kate xxx

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