Hilary Scott, Board Chair for the UNICEF USA Midwest Region
At the end of worship most weeks, our pastors tell us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord. I think of this often in my work with UNICEF, where our staff is on the ground in more than 190 countries relentlessly pursuing a better world for every child. On a daily basis for more than 75 years, our field staff has foregone creature comforts, personal relationships and, indeed, personal security to ensure a kinder, more just life, for children and families. Nowhere has this been more true than at this moment in Ukraine.
In early March, our pastors presented us with a unique fundraising opportunity. As you all reached out to the church for guidance on how to best support Ukraine, Bill, Christine, and Katie suggested UNICEF be the recipient of our members’ generosity. Under the stewardship of John Sharp, we created a fundraising link, which Bill highlighted from the pulpit at services, and it also has been published in our various Kenilworth Union communications. The results have been truly inspiring. As of this writing, Church members have raised more than $21,000 to support children and families in Ukraine and the neighboring countries. This is a noteworthy figure that is already making a difference in the everyday lives of Ukrainians. To give you some perspective, $21,000 supports the normal delivery of 2,100 babies (80,000 Ukrainian women are expected to give birth in the next 3 months); $21,000 provides 4,440 school children and their teachers with materials to ensure continuity of education near conflict zones and in refugee populations. $21,000 provides winter clothes for more than 1,000 babies (4,300+ who have been born since the beginning of this conflict) or provides 2,500 blankets.
These are significant assets and they would not be available without the generosity of Kenilworth Union Church’s members. “Thank you” feels inadequate, as the lives of countless children and families have been changed by your abundance, but it comes from my heart. Slava Ukraini!
Click here to make a donation to UNICEF