🇺🇦 UPDATE on Supporting Ukraine Now Through SMZC 🇺🇦

 

UPDATE on Supporting Ukraine Now Through SMZC

This is not the time for Sonoma Mountain Zen Center/Genjoji to ask for additional funds. But from what we hear & see, we cannot sit and do nothing. This deep feeling was answered by PJ, the daughter of Benja Peterson; Shambhala traditions calls this Auspicious Coincidence. Hence, we have a direct connection to UKRAINE. Not only our community, but anyone else who is open to help in this way - Please allow your Compassion to Help & Support UKRAINE. Each donation is beyond measure.   Gassho,   Zensan Jakusho 寂照 Kwong

🇺🇦 Fundraising Update 🇺🇦   💙 The work in Ukraine continues all day, every day. Marcin, a volunteer/organizer in Poland, explained that the problems/needs that these men in the group solve, are a “black hole” – seemingly endless & uses resources quickly. But they remain determined, positive and highly motivated to find more food and supplies to drive back to the demolished areas again the next day. I share with you Bishop Didushck’s report below (run through Google Translate). Please read his words. 🙏

Yesterday they filled three vans at a church building in Poland with donated food, medicine and cakes for Easter. Today they drove them to a neighborhood north of Kyiv that was recently occupied by Russian troops. It is important for us to witness both the tragedy and the hard work to bring relief to these survivors. We are always fundraising so that this much needed work can continue. 💙

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Hello, we returned to the temple for the night. We start the most difficult trips here and return here, it supports. We stopped in XXX again, the city is slowly coming to life, but there are many disasters. We took food to volunteers who take care of families with small children, and the disabled, visited a military hospital and gave medicine. Then we went to the most affected places in the XXX region.

People there live almost on the street. The houses are destroyed. It is still cold outside, especially at night. There is still no electricity, water, gas, nothing. They cook food like in the Middle Ages on a fire. We came to such areas just on the streets, and people ran to us to take a festive Easter cupcake and a little other food from our four cars. They took everything they could. Those who came later did not come across much, and it was painful that we did not have more. We also had to leave to go to other streets.

They thanked us and we hugged them all for a long time. When I hugged them, I felt the presence of the Savior so strongly that he accepts and bears their burdens, sorrows, pains and sufferings. I also cried with them from impotence to change something. They thanked us like angels, and we said that this is help from people from Europe and America who know about them, care and pray. I saw that this inspires them very much that people from another world remember them. In the evening with empty cars, we left the city. I couldn’t stop thinking about them and couldn’t help crying over and over again, even as I write this. I love these people and want to always return to them until it gets easier.

I don’t know anything more important than that. I spoke at length with older women and men and asked what their greatest need was. They said Small gas stoves Sleeping bags Canned meat and fish Sunflower oil Butter Flour, rice, quick pasta Sugar It was important for me to understand how to be ready to help other cities and what reserves everyone should have for the war.

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I would like to thank each of you personally for your generous donations. They have come at just the right time. Long-term fundraising can be difficult to maintain, and your contributions are helping these brave people continue to bring resources to people in need and help bring entire families to safety. Thank you so much!   PJ Matheson

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