After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb.24, Abby Uljarevic couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. 

In March, she posted on a community Facebook page, New Freedom, Glen Rock, Railroad & Shrewsbury PA, requesting donations for Ukraine.

Immediately after, Amy Hessel, the owner of Rail Trail Cafe, reached out to Uljarevic to partner with her. 

“I try to leverage the café as a place for good whenever possible,” Hessel said. “It just seemed like a great way to maximize the amount of good we could do and help to bring our community together.” 

For Uljarevic, this whole experience has been more than a collection. Her grandmother, Sophie, is from Olyka, Ukraine.

“I’m hoping what I’m doing will inspire others instead of seeing it on TV, to do something,” Uljarevic, a resident of New Freedom said. 

Uljarevic was looking for a spot to drop collections off, and then she read about the Bethany Slavic Church in Ephrata. The church has a shipping container they are filling.  

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“There are a lot of Slavic people here, and this can happen anywhere,” she said. “From the people I have spoken to, it has affected them so much because they are putting themselves in  Ukrainians’ position. ‘What if they were told that they had five minutes to leave?’” 

Since this effort started, the duo has filled about four cars with donations. They had asked for non-perishable foods, socks, underwear, warm clothing, first aid supplies and more.

One volunteer, Genevieve Williamson, said she wanted to lend a helping hand.

“I’m compelled to help the Ukrainian people who are suffering through a situation so horrible I can barely comprehend it,” Williamson said. 

Victoria Khiterer, associate professor of history at Millersville University, said the Western World should create a united front.

"The Western World should immediately accept Ukraine to NATO," Khiterer said. "It should accept Ukraine to the European Union and it should have been done years ago but it is not too late to do it now and help the Ukrainian people in their struggle against the dictatorship of Putin, against their aggressive regime trying to deprive Ukrainian people their independence."

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But the work doesn’t end here, Uljarevic said. While they aren't seeking any more donations at this time, people can still make monetary donations to Bethany Slavic Church in Ephrata.

“If people feel moved to still help, people in the Ukraine still need more help,” she said.

The church is partnering with local churches on the Ukrainian border to get food and clothing and to find temporary housing while refugees wait to get cleared to cross the borders. 

If you would like to contribute to this effort, you can do so via www.bethanyslavic.org or mail a check to Bethany Slavic Church, 864 Dawn Ave, Ephrata, PA 17522, and indicate that this is for the Ukraine Refugee Fund.  

All donations are tax-deductible; 100% of your donation will go directly to help refugees.

Kaity Assaf is a regional news reporter at the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. Contact her at kassaf1@ydr.com, on Twitter @kaitythekite or by phone, 717-472-0960. Please support local journalism with a digital subscription.