Ukraine relief effort
This past week, I was in the Ocean State Job Lot store in Newport. At the end of checking out, the clerk asked me if I wanted to donate to “Relief for Ukraine.” I donated $5 and went home to look it up.
I discovered that Ocean State Job Lot has a very extensive charitable effort, for food banks, veterans’ organizations and others, shown on their website.
Nothing about Ukraine, yet.
Within a day of my call to customer service, I was called by David Sarlitto, who heads Ocean State’s charitable activities. He reports to the owners and works with organizations that are involved in charitable activities.
When war broke out in Ukraine, Ocean State Job Lot decided to work on getting food, clothing, and health and hygiene items into Ukraine. The best route was to go through the Ukrainian Orthodox Church networks. These churches, here and in Poland and Ukraine, have already linked up with Ocean State Job Lot to receive truckloads of aid and get it into Ukraine. There were loaded trucks leaving for Port Redding, New Jersey, last Friday and Saturday. Their contents were airlifted to a location in Poland, near the Ukrainian border, and received by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church network there. The goods were then loaded into Polish and Ukrainian vans and cars provided by the church networks, and taken into Ukraine, reaching their destinations by Tuesday! Ocean State has good connections with military personnel, using them to protect the shipments and transfers. Efforts of this type have often run into problems with theft, and military involvement helps ensure deliveries.
Mr. Sarlitto’s explanation was astounding. I plan to go to our Ocean State Job Lot store tomorrow and increase my donation. If you have questions, Mr. Sarlitto said you may contact him at 617-283-1602. I do not do social networking, but if you feel it might help, that is up to you. I was personally glad to find a way, however small, to help the Ukrainians as they fight for their country.
Priscilla Hagebusch
Newport
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