Subscribe
The Chapel of Hope Yokosuka, a community center and place of worship for the military community in Yokosuka, Japan, has recently announced a clothing drive for Ukraine in partnership with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This initiative, which runs through the end of January, aims to gather clothing donations from the community to help those in need during the cold winter months.
"We've had an Orthodox Christian service and Father Paul here for several years," says Chaplain David Kim, Command Chaplain, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. "When I came on board back in May, I discovered that our Orthodox Christian service was actually specifically the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. So, when everything started happening with Russia and Ukraine, I thought that there's got to be a way that we can tap into our chapel community for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ukraine."
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Ukrainians are facing a harsh winter this year, with temperatures dropping well below freezing. Many families and individuals have been struggling to keep warm, and the Chapel of Hope Yokosuka and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine wants to do their part to help.
"So many people are cold, and so many people are without electricity," says Father Paul Koroluk, Archpriest in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and pastor of that Church's mission to Japan and contractor to the Chapel of Hope. "Those things that we're already collecting, and sending over - thermal underwear, hand-warmers, etc. We’re starting to collect flashlights, especially rechargeable ones or ones that people can attach to their heads. We're directing the items first to medical providers in Ukraine because the hospitals and clinics there often don't have power. So, the nurses and the other medical staff get around with just flashlights."
The clothing drive accepts donations of all types, including coats, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, warm blankets, sleeping bags, thermal underwear, and flashlights. All donations will be inspected for quality and shipped to Ukraine to help those in need.
"We intend to use the funds collected [by the CFAY community] with the most careful stewardship," said Koroluk. "Thanks to the donations we received, the first use for that is for when we travel to Kyushu to visit Ukrainian evacuees and others in Nagasaki and Fukuoka. I'll be able to give them some of the stuff. Thanks to what the Chapel of Hope has done."
The community has been quick to respond to this call for help.
"Ms. Megan McMechan, our Catholic Religious Education Coordinator, was instrumental in getting the clothing drive off the ground, and she's the one that cornered Father Paul about helping," said Kim. "She's been a great asset in helping organize and mobilize this. We also had help from the Junior Enlisted Sailors Association to sort through the donations and make it more manageable."
The efforts of the CFAY community in coordinating and managing the drive will have a lasting, if not lifesaving, impact. The drive aims to provide aid and comfort to those in need during this harsh time.
"Millions of people are displaced and living in temporary shelters," said Koroluk. "Some shelters were actually built by our church. Many people who are older are not reachable and rely entirely upon electricity for heating. People are going to die this winter in Ukraine. So, anything that we can do to help keep people stay warm is going to save lives. The fact is that these donations are coming from overseas, especially the ones that we send from Yokosuka to Ukraine. I want it to be very much understood that they are coming from the U.S. Navy community. The people who will receive those gifts understand that it gives them not just a gift of bodily warmth but a gift of spiritual warmth to understand that they're not forgotten and that people are caring for them."
The clothing drive organized by the Chapel of Hope Yokosuka for the people of Ukraine is a vital effort to help those in need during the cold winter. The donations collected will provide warmth, comfort, and a sense of hope and community to those who receive them. This drive is a testament to the generosity and compassion of the community, and it serves as a reminder of the power of small acts of kindness to make a big difference in the lives of others.
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2023 21:51 |
| Story ID: | 441220 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Chapel of Hope Yokosuka Holds Clothing Drive for Ukraine in Partnership with Orthodox Church of Ukraine, by TSgt Garrett Cole, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
