Imagine if tanks were rolling down Main Street and past your home. Imagine if your home came under missile fire, and your place of worship was burned to the ground, which has become the reality of many cities in eastern Ukraine. The town of Sviatohirsk, a small rural farming community, has seen particularly devastating effects. In March of this year, the town of Easton partnered with Sviatohirsk as a sister city, and now, Easton residents have new neighbors on the other side of the world who need help.
Sviatohirsk, located in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, is home to approximately 5,000 residents. The city is best known for its Sviatohirsk Lavra, a historic Orthodox Christian monastery dating back to the 15th century, which is an important cultural and spiritual site for the people of Ukraine and one of only four Lavras in the entire country.
During the occupation by Russian forces beginning in June 2022, struggling Sviatohirsk residents lost an average of 30 pounds each, historic and contemporary buildings were destroyed, and municipal services were shut down. When Ukraine retook the city in September 2022, whatever vehicles and equipment were left were taken by the retreating army. Today, the people of Sviatohirsk are working to rebuild their town.
Easton has partnered with Ukraine Aid International, a renowned nonprofit organization providing vital front-line aid in Ukraine, to rally its citizens to provide urgent, much-needed financial assistance to Sviatohirsk, a city struggling with the aftermath of war and ongoing challenges in the region. To support our new sister city, Sviatohirsk, Ukraine, Easton is aiming to raise $300,000 before June through the “Building Bridges: Easton and Sviatohirsk” initiative. The organization is well-equipped to facilitate the disbursement of funds to Sviatohirsk and to ensure that the donations are utilized effectively to support the people in need.
The town hopes to reach its ambitious target of $300,000 with the collective efforts of the Easton community, providing essential relief to its sister city, Sviatohirsk, and further strengthening the bond between these two towns.
The “Building Bridges: Easton and Sviatohirsk” campaign focuses on providing aid to the people of Sviatohirsk who are in dire need of medical supplies, food, clothing, municipal equipment, and shelter. With many parts of the city completely destroyed during the war, the initiative aims to help preserve salvageable structures and provide vital, lifesaving relief to its residents.
Donations for the “Building Bridges: Easton and Sviatohirsk” campaign can be made by visiting www.UkraineAidInternational.org/donate, where tax-deductible donations can be made by credit, debit, check, or wire. Donors supporting the Easton-Sviatohirsk sister city partnership should choose the “Easton – Sviatohirsk Sister City” designation on the donation page, or write “Easton” in the memo line of a check or wire.
Easton residents are encouraged to share the donation link with their friends, family, and neighbors and to use social media to raise awareness about the campaign. The town of Easton is rallying behind the cause, showing solidarity with their sister city and the people of Sviatohirsk in a time of unprecedented need.
