The Ukrainian Club hosted its first-ever meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30 amidst the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Club leaders are looking forward to uniting the WJ community in support of Ukraine through education and volunteering opportunities.

Club president junior Angela Lynch and vice president junior Marina Preslopsky are both children of Ukrainian immigrants and led the club’s first meeting. Their introductory presentation touched on basic facts about Ukraine and elements of Ukrainian culture including Ukrainian food, music, dance and clothing.

“We plan to have a portion of our club focused on educating people and showing them what Ukraine really is. We also plan on bringing in Ukrainian food and letting people try different dishes,” Preslopsky said.

But another important aspect of conversation was the ongoing war in Ukraine. In fact, the war was a primary reason for the club’s conception.

“I had been thinking about starting some sort of outreach group for a while. With the war going on ten years, now just seemed like the right time,” Lynch said. “We knew we had to help spread awareness and support for Ukraine since people have been forgetting about the war as other conflicts have arisen. We’d really like to teach people about Ukraine’s rich culture and history so that they can understand why we must be so proactive in helping Ukraine fight against Russian occupation.”

Although Russia invaded Ukraine only last year, the Russo-Ukrainian war has been ongoing since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been injured and killed while 14 million have been displaced from their homes.

The conflict is very close to the hearts of club leaders, many of whom have strong family ties to Ukraine. The entire maternal side of Lynch’s family is from Ukraine and most of them still reside in the country. Club treasurer junior Daniel Greynolds also has family in Ukraine.

“My mother is from the city of Vinnytsia. Some of her extended family are still in [Ukraine], but [they] are safe,” club treasurer, Greynolds said.

At the beginning of this school year, Greynolds was part of a group of students that raised $1,770 for aid in Ukraine. Several of the students that helped organize the fundraiser have taken leadership positions in Ukrainian Club.

“I believe that the current conflict is an extension of the global struggle for democracy. To this end, it is imperative that the US continue to aid Ukraine until victory is achieved, or at least until Ukraine breaks the Russian land bridge to Crimea or retakes the city of Melitopol,” Greynolds said.

The club continues to prioritize volunteering efforts to provide much needed support to Ukraine.

“We’re planning on hosting some bake sales and drives. We’re also going to be writing letters to Ukrainian refugees through an organization called Letters of Love,” Lynch said.

Members of Ukrainian Club will have the opportunity to earn SSL hours by volunteering while connecting with families and youth in Ukraine.

“We are exploring a partnership with a local Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral to read books via zoom to children in Ukraine to help keep up their English. The cathedral would help us connect with families in Ukraine,” Greynolds said.

While those events are still in the works, Ukrainian Club will continue to meet every other Thursday in room 208 and focus on a new topic of Ukraine and Ukrainian culture at each meeting. Club leaders recognize that education is the first step in fostering the support that Ukraine requires.

New members are open and eager to learn.

“In the next meetings I hope they go more in depth about the culture and how we can help people in Ukraine right now,” junior Ava Poston said.

Ukrainian club is enthusiastic about creating a community of people like Poston that can bond over their shared compassion for Ukraine.

“I feel like one thing that brings us all together is wanting peace and love, and I hope that people will listen to that and join us,” Preslopsky said.

Likewise, Lynch recognizes Ukrainian Club not only as an extracurricular, but as a support group.

“I’m most excited to meet fellow Ukrainians, and to create a community where Ukrainians and those interested in learning about and helping Ukraine are connected. It’s super important to have people to talk to in tough times like these, so I think this group is going to be really valuable,” Lynch said.