She loves Ukraine’s determined, resilient people. Here’s how she helps them in wartime

Paige Barrows returned home from her Peace Corps placement in Ukraine 12 years ago, but she has never let the county or its people slip from her mind.

That tie has motivated her to raise more than $130,000 for humanitarian aid since the Feb. 2022 Russian invasion.

The Olathe resident has visited the country twice since then, bringing over medical supplies and visiting the people she’s been helping.

She’s had help from local non-profit Stand with Ukraine KC. The group has helped her establish a bomb shelter in the basement of the school where she taught in Bilozir’ya.

“Under martial law, the kids aren’t allowed to go to school unless the school has a bomb shelter, and the school where I taught didn’t (have one),” Barrows said.

Along with Ukrainian volunteers, she even visited soldiers on the front lines, bringing first aid supplies, generators and fresh water. She said that though the local courier service is reliable, people are still needed to pick up supplies from their depot and bring them to the hot zones.

In addition to monetary support, she makes a point to share personal stories of Ukrainians she knows on her Facebook page. One story is of a young man who was severely injured and in a wheelchair, but with help from Stand with Ukraine KC, got into a good rehabilitation facility.

“He was really determined to walk again. The last update I had heard from him was that he able to stand up without using his hands, without holding onto something. When I was there, we went to his apartment to bring his family groceries and a stroller for his son,” she said. “He came walking out — with crutches — but he came walking out to greet me, and that was incredible. His determination and will — he’s a great example of the Ukrainian people and how he’s not giving up.”

Spreading these stories can also be a challenge, she said, because some words seem to trigger the algorithms to limit the number of people who see those posts. She has also used X, formerly known as Twitter, to get people involved.

While good for reaching lots of people, the flip side of social media, is that she has to counter Russian propaganda. She encourages people to check who is sharing the information and where it originated.

“I am more than happy to talk to people. I have the receipts. I’m happy to provide legitimate sources,” Barrows said.

She explains the Ukrainian people need items beyond just the civilian and tactical medical supplies she’s sending them. They need essentials like generators and solar power banks.

“With Russia striking critical infrastructure, these facilities that produce electricity — they don’t have it, so they’re requesting a lot of these generators and power banks both on the front line and for civilians as well,” Barrows said.

Anything from food to underwear to fire extinguishers can be in short supply there.

On her most recent trip in April, she brought 250 pounds of supplies, including formula, diapers and common over-the-counter medications. She’s even helped with civilian and soldier funeral costs.

For a soldier, even a helmet can be challenging to replace quickly with an uncertain supply chain.

“If they’re shot, it compromises the helmet. It’s no longer safe. Phosphorous bombs can actually melt the helmet. They don’t always have time to wait for the next delivery when they have to go on another mission in five days,” she said.

When she reconnected with friends in Ukraine, she noticed one missing a finger and another part of his arm. She’s also seen homes, schools and hospitals decimated by rockets, mortars and drones, with bullet holes in walls everywhere.

Despite the difficulties there, she’s found the people keep up good attitudes. She was surprised by how positive people were on her visits. Ukrainians, she said, have a fantastic sense of humor.

“Because Ukraine has been through so much in the last even just couple hundred years, so many dark periods in time, they’re resilient, because they’ve had to rebuild over and over again,” ” Barrows said. “They don’t have same doomsday mentality I think Americans would have if we were in the same situation.”

For more information on contributing to her efforts through Stand with Ukraine KC, visit ukrainekc.org.