Monday, March 18, 2024

Denton County locals step up to support those in war-torn Ukraine

Sujo John was enjoying a few quiet moments on his patio recently when he looked across the lush green Lantana golf course and noticed a Ukrainian flag flying in a neighbor’s backyard.

While just a simple gesture of support for the war-torn country, the flag in John’s eyes also represented hope — especially as he and so many other Americans grow tired of standing idly by on the sidelines.

“I’ve been in different parts of Europe and seen the impact of war. And anytime you go to places where horrible things happened in the past, you wonder, ‘Why didn’t that generation do more?’” John said. “This war is happening now. This is our call to do something.”

He added, “Seeing that flag tells me that Americans are responding. The Ukrainian people need to know that they can count on us.”

John, a motivational speaker and human rights activist, isn’t talking about taking up arms and going to war. But he and several other local residents and elected officials — including State Representative Tan Parker and Northlake Mayor David Rettig — are at the forefront of a growing humanitarian effort to get critical medical supplies, food, military aid, and other essentials directly to soldiers and the millions of Ukrainian people who are displaced from their homes, separated from family, cannot escape, and increasingly vulnerable as Russia’s invasion rages on.

According to the U.S. State Department, 2,685 civilians have been killed since the war started on February 24. More than 4.1 million refugees are fleeing Ukraine, and more than $1 billion in U.S. assistance has taken place over the past year.

More assistance is on the way. And as John pointed out, these efforts aren’t being made from the comfort of a backyard patio nearly 6,000 miles away. Americans are literally going to Ukraine and border countries to provide support in person.

“We’re connecting with people on the ground, setting up a supply chain, and sending supplies into different parts of Ukraine,” John said. “Our aid varies, and our goal is simply to ensure it’s reaching those people. The Ukrainian people are showing so much bravery right now, so the least we can do is be there with them. When we were leaving, they hugged us and said, ‘You are not just Americans. You are Ukrainian.’ We are sending our love from America.”

Rettig added that a sense of urgency is critical to helping so many vulnerable people and their families find peace.

“They have no money, and they are dependent on other people as they try to get away from the fighting,” he said. “We can’t start a world war or go fight, but we do want to be involved and to help however we can. And if that means shoveling stuff across the border, then that’s what we will do. That’s the right spirit. You start small and try to make a difference a little bit at a time.”

Parker added his thoughts, saying that he is humbled by the amount of selfless support Americans are showing to Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian people were living normal lives, just like us, and all of it was turned upside down for no reason,” Parker said. “They are good people, and they want nothing more than to live in peace. There are Texans in Poland right now — many of them I know personally. They recognize the horror and what is at stake. I just hope more want to get involved.”

A much-needed shift in focus

John is a 9/11 survivor and started an international humanitarian organization called YouCanFreeUs 13 years ago to fight modern-day slavery around the world through advocacy, rescue, and rehabilitation. In that time, they’ve rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of women and children through strategic intervention hubs, safe houses, and training centers in different parts of the world.

But when the war between Russia and Ukraine started in late February, John felt an obligation to shift his mission’s focus temporarily.

“I have friends there, so I could see the Facebook posts of the devastation from people who were separated and trying to stay alive,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep and had a heavy feeling. So I called an emergency board meeting to see what we could do to help in any way that we could. I told them that I was going there, and everyone else felt the same way.”

John and several board members from YouCanFreeUs recently returned from their second trip to Romania to buy and send supplies across the border to Ukrainian refugees. This included everything from food, generators, tents, tables, and chairs to sleeping bags, winter jackets, baby food, and life-saving medication. They also partnered with locals and government entities to set up large feeding centers for individuals who have nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

That includes Marina Serdichenko, a citizen of Ukraine and a friend of John’s who was separated from her husband six weeks ago. Rather than leave permanently, she managed to get their three children safely to America before returning to Ukraine to serve her people. She and her husband, Denis, run one of the largest churches in Odesa, Ukraine, and have become a quasi-hub for support operations. This includes feeding soldiers and working closely with over 20,000 refugees.

“This has been the hardest year of our life,” she said just before leaving for Ukraine on April 18. “Even though I’ve been separated from my husband and can only talk to him via the internet, we just continue to do what we are called to do. The most important thing is that our kids and parents are safe. To see how Americans support the people of Ukraine means so much. We are not family. We are not relatives. But we are still one nation — one big family. It’s amazing to see how the rest of the world has joined in.”

A silent participant

As the Mayor of Northlake, Rettig said he has been hesitant to let people know about his own involvement. As a result, he’s been quietly working in the shadows, with only a few close friends aware of what he’s up to. Like John, Rettig also just got back from driving similar aid across the border. He went with 10 other guys he’s been friends with since they were all teenagers.

“I just saw it as me doing my job,” he said. “I only told a few close friends at first, but then I had a change of heart because I noticed other people like Tan Parker were also getting involved. Hearing that sort of stuff makes people feel good. No one is sitting on their hands. They’re all being creative. That’s what people need to hear more about.”

Rettig said that other elected officials have literally been pulling cash out of their pockets and handing it to him as a way to show support when they can’t be there in person. He said it was a powerful feeling knowing that so many officials shared the same commitment to peace and were interested in making sure enough aid gets to the people of Ukraine.

That includes Parker, who said that everything he’s been doing is 100% outside of his elected post as a legislator. He has been pooling his resources locally while also working closely with the DAAR Charitable Foundation to send pallets of medical supplies, food, protective gear, and more from Texas and other locations to Poland. From there, the supplies are trucked into various parts of the region.

“I’m humbled to see everything happening locally,” Parker said. “People are stepping up. Yes, the situation is overwhelming at times. But you get a toehold and keep finding ways to get involved.”

John agreed.

“There are different ways that we can all help,” he said. “It’s not just a Ukraine war, and American generosity is alive and well.”

CTG Staff
CTG Staff
The Cross Timbers Gazette News Department

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