Weekly Review of Ukraine Efforts
Our week’s work reached a milestone.
It’s a big one for me anyway!
We finished packing up all the quilts I’ve received so far - either by Quilted Twins or via the post office.
I know I have at least three more packages via the Post Office that hopefully I will get soon.
Then I worked on cleaning up the living room and dining room. And my dining room bar area which was covered thickly with stuff. I got it worked down - just have to do the final touches and decide where the rest of the stuff should go.
But that was big enough for me!
I’ve also been shopping for the next load which will be either the 24th or 25th of this month and will go to some people who will make packages and send to people in Kharkiv and also to a group of refugees from eastern Ukraine who are in western Ukraine. This time I have a specific list, so it does make it a little easier to buy and make decisions. I know they want to make 50 packages for people in Kharkiv, so I’m making sure there are enough of each thing to make up that many packages for them PLUS the refugees in western Ukraine. We’ll also send baby sets and 150 quilt bundles in the load.
Since this is the last week I will be showing the packing up of quilts, I’ll go ahead and show it again - even though it feels like “same thing yet again!” :)
Monday -
I was trying to finish up all the last stragglers - and I had run out of pillows and vinyl packs. I got more of the pillows in and so we worked on both baby sets and vinyl packs. I got all the baby sets finished from the ones I got via the regular mail. (I kept them separate as I wanted to put a different letter in the packages.)
On this day I had two new helpers, also Ukrainian - Katie and Tanya - (daughter and mom) who were visiting Rachel, the American living at the church building right now. They enjoyed helping make both the baby sets and the last 20 or so quilt vinyl sets.
We also took some more things from our house and put them in the garage. I was packing up various “non quilt” items (older blankets, fleece, comforters, etc) that had been given and that are headed to Ukraine though not in vinyl bundles.
Tuesday -
I was still waiting on the very last vinyl packs as we ran out - but today we had a lot of packages for the next load.
In these pics I’ve also started counting out pillowcases in order to use them up and get them ready to move them out. At this point I’m doing them by myself.
And my living room is starting to clear out “big time”. It takes a lot of removing boxes for this to happen. I couldn’t just wave a magic wand and make it all disappear.
Wednesday -
Had to take some loads to the church’s garage for holding. These are things that were in those boxes we had delivered yesterday.
The garage is starting to look more full!
I also worked on packing up some more pillowcases. I was waiting for the last of the vinyl packs needed to completely finish up all the bigger quilts (the baby sets were all done!)
Thursday -
Lena and Rachel came over and Josiah was here as well. I got the last vinyl packs needed this morning and we were able to pack up all the rest of the quilts I had had put aside, quietly waiting for the last few vinyl packs needed.
The last two vinyl packs to leave the house (I had thought, anyway - since then I noticed I have two more in the entryway - but way up high)!
I then wanted to finish counting out all the pillowcases. I figured having multiple people would certain speed up the process! It was taking me about half an hour to box up 100, which seemed very slow to me!
After everyone left I prepared yellow papers and attached them to the boxes and then Josiah moved them all out into our entryway.
I then swept the living room and cleaned up more. The few boxes on the left against the wall are not quilt related. They are things to go on the next load - flashlights, toothbrush covers, ladies’ hygiene products.
Friday -
I then asked Mike to get Josiah to help and remove the drywall which has been decorating our living room since January (there were 5 pieces there). They were completely uncovered as I took the things that were draped on them off. You can see the drywall in the photo of the group folding pillowcases above - behind Lena - the blond.
I then spent a good part of the afternoon working on cleaning up the dining room bar which had been piled very high. I knew I had some more patches for Edek buried in there somewhere (I found them). Here it is in process of being cleared off.
I also got some more things I had ordered and purchased for the next trip to Ukraine.
We took the plastic and paper to be recycled and put it in front of the house to wait for the recycling truck in the morning.
Plastic on the left - paper on the right. Normally we have 2-4 bags total.
Saturday -
A van came to the church at 8 am which we loaded up with quilt packs which headed to Ukraine that day. The van was driven by the husband of Ira, a Ukrainian lady who was here a few weeks ago and helped pack up vinyl packs. He drives for a humanitarian aid group. Obviously it had been arranged earlier in the week.
We sent 101 baby sets and 190 quilt bundles with him. It started raining very hard!!!!!!!!! Reminded me of FL rain!
We were finished packing up Pasha by 8:45 and ready to head home so Josiah and Mike could change and get ready to go to the airport for Josiah to catch his first flight to Munich - but after a couple more changes, eventually took him to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Sunday -
Nothing - except talk to people from Ukraine and put a few things in the garage for the next trip (no pics).
So now except for giving away quilts, I will probably have little or no pics of packing any up. Whew, huh? We’re all ready to move on, I’m sure. I know I am!
Anyway - thanks so much for coming along with me on this journey! Have a great day wherever you are reading this!
Feel free to browse the site.