NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. — Amid a growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe, a New Cumberland-based religious organization is doing its part to help.
“We’re doing what we do best. Supplying physical and emotional and spiritual as well as mental care,” said Paul Davis, president of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.
A Ukraine Crisis Fund run through The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism has received over $715,000 in donations from across the United States.
“We haven’t had to really work that hard to ask, people are ready to give, they’re ready to be generous,” said Alex Kocman, director of communications for ABWE.
That money being used for direct relief in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and other countries which have taken in refugees.
“We’ve been able to supply over 5,500 meal kits, we’ve been able to share over 250 bibles and other forms of literature with people,” said Kocman.
Bedding, housing, transportation, and over 1,400 pounds of medical supplies have also been distributed so far.
“We feel very humbled to be a part of it,” said Davis. “People from all over the US are pouring resources into our teammates so they can serve well.”
This isn’t anything new for ABWE.
The Ukraine Crisis Fund was actually started in 2014, when Russia first invaded Ukraine.
Since then, more than 40 missionaries have done relief work across eastern Europe, creating relationships with dozens of churches which has allowed them to help thousands of refugees over the last month.
“They can be very effective in taking the resources that are being given to us and disperse them in very helpful ways,” explained Davis.
Leaders of the group say they’re blown away by the generosity and believe it’s only going to continue.
“They care about the whole world and they’re still giving to help not only their neighbors and people who look like them, but people on the other side of the globe that are nothing like them at all,” said Kocman.
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