May 12, 2022
We are having an extremely busy week. More refugees coming in, means late evenings and nights with international friends to discuss Ukraine relief initiatives. Food program advancement efforts now take most of my time. Crazy to think that all the 10,000 boxes will be gone within this and early next week. The team is working hard. We have triple the number of requests than what we can provide. Now we are extremely pressured to buy the next batch of food items. The funds are not in yet. Praying and working towards another miracle!
On the same day we announced the Food Program, fuel shortages started. Fuel is extremely hard to get and is very expensive. Presently, six cargo vans go to various locations every day. Each one needs about 160 liters (42 gallons) of diesel per trip. Every two days we must find a minimum of 1000 liters (265 gallons) of fuel or more. It is truly a miracle that we are able to continue deliveries. We are not sure if it is our reputation or the skilled flirting skills and charm of our drivers that allow us to buy fuel at closed gas stations. Somehow in early mornings or late evenings they manage to refuel to some degree. Last week most of our drivers logged in about 3,106 miles each! They continue to go to dangerous places. Currently, only organizations that have fuel can go. Because of this, we have started to receive calls from our last mile delivery friends explaining that their food stocks are running empty. Increasingly, more and more Ukrainians in those locations need food, meds, and other basic necessities. Few organizations that previously delivered resources are returning. I’m beginning to see fatigue build up in our team members who continue to work crazy hours.
In the midst of everything, we are trying to rebuild our media and program teams. Some people have left, and new ones have joined. This is one more thing on my plate since last week. Please keep praying! Thank you for your support!
