DALLAS — Baylor Scott & White Health, actively involved in sending medical supplies and assistance to Ukraine for the past several years, announced Monday it has increased those efforts and invites donors to help the flow of supplies to the war-torn country continue.
"Our hearts go out to them. Our hearts ache for them," said Matthew Hoffman, director of Baylor Scott & White's Faith in Action Initiatives. "And we want to come alongside them however we can."
The program, with disaster relief and medical missions active in several countries, is sending excess medical supplies to Ukraine as quickly and in as many boxes, pallets, and shipping containers as they can.
"Each and every month we ship out one to three 40-foot shipping containers to humanitarian aid all over the world," said Hoffman.
Supplies to Ukraine include wound care, first aid and trauma kits. They are sent to established contacts in Poland and distributed to refugee camps and Ukrainian cities they can still reach with the help of non-profits, like Nova Ukraine, Baptist World Alliance and the European Baptist Federation.
"It was heartbreaking to hear of how they have been preparing and wondering if such a day would ever come and the day that they didn't want to come, arrived," Hoffman said, of his phone and web conversations with Ukrainians and the relief organizations on the front lines trying to help them.
"We want them to know that we're with them. And that we care about them. And as one person hurts in this world, we all hurt. And we want to step into those spaces wherever we can to be able to care for them," said Hoffman.
People wishing to help with the Baylor Scott & White effort can make donations and learn about volunteer opportunities at foundations.bswhealth.com.
"We want to be able to stand alongside them however we can," added Hoffman.