A teenager from New York collected 54 bags of medicines for the Ukrainian military
'07.07.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
A 17-year-old teenager from New York helped organize and deliver medical supplies to Ukraine to bolster support for the country's defense against a Russian invasion, reports Fox News.
“I wanted to help the refugees,” Matthew Galing explained. “All the time I thought about how to help them.” And soon I realized how important medicines are, because they save lives ... Before, I did not understand what a big impact medicines had on military operations. That was one of the few things that surprised me.”
Galing raised the money with a baseball fund called Hits for Hope, which donated funds to help Ukrainian refugees. The teenager is of Ukrainian origin, so this case is very valuable for him.
Once Matthew had the money, Galing needed a way to channel it. So he contacted Ukraine Friends. The group, founded shortly after the invasion began in 2022, is made up of veterans, medical professionals and entrepreneurs who donate their time and efforts to support Ukrainians by any means available.
“Somehow I stumbled upon Ukraine Friends and I wanted to do more,” Galing explained. “So I gave my money to this organization and went on a trip to deliver medical supplies.”
Galing wanted to first support the refugees, but the need for military medical supplies proved more pressing. During the week, he traveled to the charity's warehouse on Long Island, where he helped pack and prepare goods for shipping.
On the subject: How you can help Ukrainians while in New York
Then he delivered the cargo to Ukraine from Poland, where he saw firsthand how the refugees suffered from the traumas of the war.
The most difficult thing for him was communication throughout the process.
“I do a lot of volunteer work. It's usually pretty easy because I can just chat,” Geiling said.
“In the beginning it was not easy. But towards the end at the Children's Hospital, we were able to sort of deal with the situation... It's not hard. You have to show compassion and just be there for people,” he explained.
Galing's trip ran from 24 to 30 June. And now that he's back in New York, he plans to help in the future when the opportunity arises. He plans to have another trip to Ukraine this summer.
“I'm going to go pack and load bags for other Ukrainians because the warehouse is an hour away from the city. Therefore, I will come there several times during the summer and just continue to help,” he assured.
Ukraine Friends have booked about 100 commercial flights to deliver more than 100 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine. Including more than 25 individual first aid kits for the front line. The Gayling family's delivery is the fourth such delivery organized by the charity.