SAN ANTONIO – As a Ukrainian in San Antonio, Anna Stamps said she wants to know what’s happening in her home country, but it’s hard for her to watch what’s unfolding from an ocean away.
“It’s still very real,” Stamps said. “It’s real, and reading the news every day and seeing dead people and seeing the blood and dead kids is just heartbreaking.”
Stamps serves as a board member for Ukrainian San Antonio, a nonprofit with the mission of preserving Ukrainian heritage. The heartbreak she’s felt is shared by so many since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A year and a half later, the war is ongoing, and Stamps said she’s doing all she can to push for more support.
“I cannot imagine what people there under bombs and under sirens are going through,” Stamps said. “We just gather everything that we can collect and send it to help injured and wounded soldiers and citizens in Ukraine.”
But she said she can’t do it alone. When Congress passed a stopgap bill to keep the government open just weeks ago, it didn’t include funding for Ukraine. In his address on Thursday night, President Joe Biden said it was “vital” to support Ukraine and Israel through their current conflicts.
However, the delay in choosing a new House speaker could affect Biden’s funding request for Israel and Ukraine.
Without a speaker, the House cannot pass the proposals. More than half of the president’s funding request would go to Ukraine.
In the meantime, people like the team at European Dumplings are finding ways to fundraise on their own scale.
“We’re moving through it,” said Roman Veretelnik, an employee at European Dumplings. “Some of the revenue that we bring in goes directly over there.”
Veretelnik said support comes in many ways, from donations to verbal affirmations. He said staying focused on family and friends overseas is his priority.
“This has kind of been pushed to the back page, but it’s still very real,” Veretelnik said. “There is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of gray area, and a lot more pain.”
European Dumplings is accepting donations in person, and Ukrainian SA is supporting those overseas virtually.