Featured photo of man flying Ukraine flag in Trafalgar Square by Avel Shah.
When I was 11 years old, my family and I immigrated to the States as refugees from St. Petersburg, Russia. Growing up in Russia, my favorite moments were spent roaming around in the untouched pine and birch forests at our dacha outside of the city. In St. Petersburg, I remember grand, ornate apartment buildings with filthy stairways often covered in human feces, standing in lines that curved around for blocks while waiting for groceries, and my parents getting paid in boom-boxes and kettles because the Russian ruble didn’t carry much value in an isolated, inflated financial system. Luckily, quality of life has greatly improved for many Russians since I left the country in 1992. But that improvement came with complacency and the willingness to bend and compromise on what is right just to keep things better than they once were. And worst of all, the willingness to keep a war criminal in power.
As a team at Noun Project, we are disgusted and saddened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the senseless violence that has affected many. Our hearts go out to the millions of people impacted, including those in our own community. Noun Project has thousands of contributors from around the world, including from both Ukraine and Russia. We have heard from many of our Russian contributors who are stuck in the middle of a conflict they do not support, and we thank them for having the courage to speak out.
We’ve compiled this list of ways you can help support the Ukrainian people during this time. From donating to organizations doing critical work on the ground to hiring Ukrainian talent, there are many tangible ways to lend your support.
Make a Donation
- DirectRelief
DirectRelief is an organization that provides supplies to doctors and nurses for humanitarian aid. You may donate directly to their Ukrainian aid efforts here. - Save the Children
A leading humanitarian organization for children that has changed the lives of over 1 billion children in the U.S. and around the world.- $50 can provide 10 warm, cozy blankets to children affected by conflict
- $100 helps supply a month’s worth of nutritious food to a family in crisis
- $175 can provide five families with emergency shelter materials
- UNICEF’s Protect the Children of Ukraine Fund
Your 100% tax-deductible donation will help UNICEF ensure that Ukraine’s children have access to safe water, nutrition, health care, education, and protection. - International Medical Corps
This organization’s teams inside Ukraine and in the surrounding region are responding to the conflict by expanding access to medical and mental health services for those living in affected communities and working to help refugees. - Ridni
Ridni is a fund with a mission to help orphans in Ukraine to find their families and build a happy future. They are currently helping evacuate Ukrainian kids from the regions attacked by Russia. - Voices of Children
This organization’s charitable foundation helps provide psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by the war. - World Central Kitchen
Founded by chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is serving millions of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home, as well as people remaining in the country. Your donation will help provide fresh meals to serve people in Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Hungary, as well as those remaining in Ukraine.
Other Ways You Can Help
In addition to making donations, you can consider hiring Ukrainian talent, show your support at a local protest, and share trustworthy news sources reporting on what’s happening in Ukraine. Here are some additional resources for creatives with more ways you can lend your skills:
- Creatives for Ukraine
An open platform for creatives from around the world showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Upload your artwork showing support for Ukraine and allow journalists and others to use the work for free.
- Designers United for Ukraine
This creative collective helps designers impacted by the war in Ukraine reach safety and find new work.
It’s critical that during times like these the creative community works together to support those in need. From making donations to creating art in support of Ukraine, there are many ways you can contribute. Noun Project will be highlighting some of its Ukrainian creators across our channels and we encourage you to support their work.
Here are just a few of the many talented Ukrainian creators on Noun Project:
Olena Panasovska
You can read more about Olena and her work on our blog.