Dmitry Seryodkin is CEO of «Ukrainian Efforts». This volunteer organization is in United States and has been providing assistance to Ukrainians in their fight against Russia.
What inspired you to become a volunteer and help Ukrainians in the war against Russia? How did the idea of creating your organization come about?
– As an active duty Special Forces who trained Ukrainians in 2018 and 2019, also a Native Ukrainian I had to do something.
I had a tough time dealing with this new reality, my wife and I both are Ukrainians, and we have many families left there, including my sister with six kids, my brother and his family, and many more. The biggest reason we both were in deep depression is that we couldn’t do anything from here to help our families and our people; we spent countless days on our phones, talking to family members, trying to set up escape routes for them, find safe houses and so much more. After the Russian invasion of our home country, my wife and I were in an awful place, and we started looking for outlets to utilize ourselves. I had never needed to deal with anything like this before, but now we had to find a purpose. We both discovered that helping someone ease our pain, so-called “pro-social behavior,” is a proven factor that helps people deal with severe sociological issues. This type of behavior is defined as voluntary and benefits other people or society as a whole, such as assisting, sharing, contributing, cooperating, and volunteering
We had a few Ukrainian soldiers training with us here in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when the Ukrainian / Russian war broke out. A few guys tossed an idea to fill these soldiers’ bags with donated medical items, which was a fantastic outcome. We filled eight duffle bags with high-priority items like gauze, tourniquets, and blood transfusion kits, everything they needed to re-pack Individual First Aid Kits (IFACs) they had with them; we were even able to help them to pay for the extra baggage fees. The “problem” we ran into was all the access items left over in another 20 or so duffle bags. We started collecting donations, people started bringing us more donated Humanitarian Aid and medical equipment, and I decided to make my future taxes easier. I could separate my business and personal finances from donations. A good friend from the Special Forces Foundation set up a donation page for me, and she advised me to start my 501c3 Non-profit Organization (NPO). After doing this for almost nine months, my organization Ukrainian-Efforts was able to ship close to three-quarters of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, medicine, rape survival kits, and warm clothing. Still, by the time our organization is one year old, we are aiming for a total of one million dollars in donated items shipped to Ukraine.
How has your experience been working with Ukrainian people, and what have you learned from them?
– Resilient.
What challenges have you faced while volunteering, and how have you overcome them?
– One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced while shipping humanitarian aid to Ukraine is logistical issues associated with safely and securely delivering it from one area to another. To overcome this, I have worked closely with local aid organizations to organize shipments and ensure that they are properly coordinated and tracked. I have also been in contact with government authorities to ensure that any restrictions on the delivery of goods are complied with. Furthermore, I have worked with suppliers to ensure that goods are of good quality and that they get to the right people in a timely manner.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a volunteer?
– Be realistic about your own abilities and available time commitment – pick something that you can realistically pursue and commit to. Additionally, I would recommend finding an organization that you believe in and that will provide you with the right resources and support.
What do you hope to accomplish through your volunteer work, and what impact do you hope to have on the local community?
– Help Ukrainians fight for survival and spread the actual truth to the local community.
Who do you specifically collaborate within Ukraine and the United States?
– We have a very large logistical cluster in Ukraine that help us with our shipments in Ukraine and Poland. A lot of them are veterans who understand the situation.
What role do you think volunteers can play in promoting peace and how can people support your efforts?
– Stand up to tyranny and stand up for people who need help the most. Volunteer to help with events, drivers to help with shipping and donations.
If you want to contact «Ukrainian Efforts» or assist with donations visit the website below:
