A 12-ton care package for Ukraine

A legion of volunteers gathered at Portview Church in the Town of Port Washington Saturday. They put together hygiene kits for those who have nothing and packed boxes and pallets of everyday supplies, everything from diapers to canned goods. Youngsters colored pictures and wrote cards and notes to go with the supplies, a bit of cheer to brighten a day.

The supplies are headed to Ukraine, thanks to the Wisco-Ukraine Project headed by Paul and Christine Pierquet of Fredonia.

“I think Ozaukee County is a pretty amazing community,” Christine Pierquet said Monday.

She said the community collection brought in around six tons of items, and donations will allow them to buy another five to six tons more — enough to fill a shipping container.

“Our goal was to fill one container,” Pierquet said. “This was just amazing.”

On Saturday, she said, about 75 people gathered at the church to help pack the items

While Pierquet said she is still taking stock of what’s been donated, she said there were “a lot of canned goods — lots of them.”

A significant amount of other food items, as well as diapers, wipes and bar soap, were collected.

Everything had to be cataloged and inventoried for customs, Pierquet said, then packed into large boxes and placed on pallets that were then wrapped.

‘It was organized chaos,” she said. “But it was amazing. Our team leaders had it down, and people just jumped in.”

People from the church and community at large stayed later than the 3 p.m. end time to help get the work done, she said.

During the packing, she said, Pastor Veniamin Kovalenko, who will get the donated items and help distribute them in Ukraine, was able to visit with the volunteers on an Internet call.

“He was really excited to see everyone and thank everyone,” Pierquet said.

The donations were blessed before the packing session ended.

Monday, volunteers were working to finish packing items so that when they get the remainder of the things they are purchasing, they can be transported to Chicago. That’s where the import/export company they are working with is located.

“As soon as the container is full, it will go out,” Pierquet said, estimating that will be in the next 10 to 14 days.

Twenty-seven days later, it should arrive in Poland, and from there it will be moved into Ukraine and distributed.

The Pierquets will post updates and photos about the relief effects on the Portview Facebook and Wisco-Ukraine Project pages when the items arrive in Ukraine so people can get a look at the impact they have made.

The response from the community was heartening, Pierquet said.

After a story about the Wisco-Ukraine Project appeared in Ozaukee Press, she said, “a lot of people would drive up to the church and say, ‘We saw the story and went shopping this morning. We want to help.’”

“We’re just grateful for everyone who’s stepping up and given.”

They are still accepting cash donations to buy items to fill the container and cover the shipping costs, she said.   

The relief effort is personal for the Pierquets, who are the family life pastors at the church, lived in Ukraine for 16 years before returning to the United States last fall.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the couple continued to keep in touch with their Ukrainian friends and congregation almost daily through phone calls, text messages and Instagram accounts.

While it’s been helpful for them to send money to the people in Ukraine, the situation has gotten to the point where people often can’t buy the things they need because they just aren’t there, they said, so they started their collection efforts.