Pittsburgh Volunteers Assemble Hygiene Kits To Ship To Europe
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Boxes filled with more than 500 hygiene kits are awaiting their plane ride to Europe.
They were assembled in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and will be flown overseas into Poland and other countries this week.
Once they arrive, the essential items will be distributed to hundreds of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Tuesday's crisis relief event was organized by local non-profit "DTCare," whose volunteers have been working around the clock, for several weeks, to help provide support to the people of Ukraine.
DTCare Programming Director Natasha Thompson said the items will go "mostly to Poland and then the Girl Scouts down there, the Polish Girl Scouts, are helping distribute to refugees around the border."
DTCare President Marco Gruelle said, "next week, we will be delivering in Ukraine, not just in Lviv, but in Vinnytsia and other locations as well."
Volunteers at the event were prepping their fourth round of essential goods, more than 1,500 pounds worth, all donation based, from local churches, schools, businesses and community members.
"We try to include toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, mouthwash, basics like shampoos and soap," Thompson said.
Other items like first aid, ready-to-eat meals and reusable cloth menstrual kits from the group "Days for Girls" are being rushed overseas, too.
DTCare said it will continue working with its partners to provide aid as needed.
Right now it is heavy on material items but could really use monetary donations to help with the cost of air freight -- about $6 a kilogram -- to get these shipments to their final destinations.
To find out more information on how to help, check out DTCare's website.
