SUNFLOWER SEEDS FOR UKRAINE JUNE NEWSLETTER

Sunflowers News June 29th 2022 Part 1

Sunflowers June 29th 2022 News Part 2

We are in the early stages of this initiative; however, we have gone ahead with phase 1. One could call it the trial run to get interest.

PHASE 1 The Story So Far:

During Phase 1 packets of seeds were handed out around a total 1,000 to clubs like Lower Blue Mountains, Griffith Avanti and Wagga Wagga Sunrise. These are three clubs that have asked to help from day 1. PDG Susan Wakefield has done a remarkable job in raising $1,000 so far with the cards and seeds that I left her and says that people were giving up to $50 per packet.

With the success of Lower Blue Mountains and Griffith Avanti and their efforts in Griffith, at the Westfield shopping centre, we have been able to move on to Phase 2.

PHASE 2

Many clubs are now receiving seeds and we know this demand will increase, however we still have over 50kgs of seeds in stock. Junee Rotary took 20kgs of seeds and that makes the total they have collected to 31kgs. We look forward to the results of their efforts.

I have ordered 1,000 display/donation boxes. These will be available, now the artwork is done, and have been printed and will be delivered to us very soon. Once the word gets out there then I strongly believe that the demand will be excellent. So far, I have 250 boxes spoken for.

Update from the RAWCS Project (83 of 2014-15), With more than 13 million people having fled their homes in Ukraine, including 8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s), and 5 million forced into exile, this is a humanitarian crisis on an unimaginable scale, requiring a massive aid response. The prime objective is to meet immediate lifesaving needs of the crisis affected civilian population to preserve lives, ease suffering and promote self-sufficiency. Having met an initial target of $5 million, the scale of the tragedy in Ukraine is such that the need for further humanitarian aid is critical. The target has therefore been doubled to $10 million.

So much is happening and the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations are delighted with the idea of the seeds. They want to get their youth in all the cities around Australia to sell the seeds. Here is the latest from Diahanna (Darka) Senko

“Hi Jack,

This is fantastic, we will be launching the campaign among our youth in July – September.

Our goal was to raise $5,000,000 by June 30, 2022 and we are shy by $37 k.

Our Director of Youth, Justin Senko, will be launching this campaign in July to kick off our next goal of 5million dollars for shelters and children centres to be established.

His vision has always been that Australia will flower with Sunflowers in Spring as we hope Ukraine will once again flower with democracy and peace

We will place our order next week.

Diahanna (Darka) Senko

Director, Humanitarian Aid Initiatives

Chair, Ukraine Crisis Appeal & UHELP

www.ukrainecrisisappeal.org”