Muristek
DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESSPastor Michael Smiyun said First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Santa Barbara is grateful for the community’s support for its efforts to help Ukrainians during the Russian invasion.
First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Santa Barbara has raised more than $7,000 for humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
The church has done so through various efforts, including a Solidarity Concert for Ukraine, which raised more than $2,000 Tuesday evening at the church.
More than 60 people attended the concert, Pastor Michael Smiyum told the News-Press in an email.
After the concert, words of encouragement were shared by Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams, reiterating the importance of “reaching out to those who are hurting in any way we possibly can.” The evening ended with a closing prayer from Pastor Smiyun.
The music for the evening was performed by UCSB students, with planning and guidance provided by Alexandra Birch from the UCSB Department of Music.
The concert is among the church’s ongoing fundraising efforts.
“We are grateful for the strong support the Ukrainian community has received in these difficult moments from the people of Santa Barbara,” Pastor Smiyun said. “It is more than we expected or ever imagined.
“We have started working with churches in Europe to deliver much needed medical supplies and food to the people in the Ukraine who are migrating from eastern Ukraine to western Ukraine,” said Pastor Smiyun.
Pastor Smiyun said that the church is under the understanding that the U.S. is not taking in refugees from Ukraine, hit hard by the Russian invasion.
“However, we do hope and pray that the doors may be opened, and we as a community would be more than happy to receive those who are fleeing from the devastated destruction, which is materializing in the country of our birth,” said Pastor Smiyun.
If you wish to contribute to the fundraising efforts, you can write a check to the church, indicating in the memo line that it is for the Ukrainian refugee fund.
For more information, call the church at 805-708-9810.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
The post Santa Barbara church raises $7,000+ to help Ukrainians appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.