Russia's relentless bombardment of residential areas across Ukraine has so far forced more than one million refugees to flee the country in just seven days, according to the United Nations, as fierce fighting continues into its second week. Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement Thursday: "I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one." (CNN. Friday, March 4, 2022). Half a million of the refugees are children, according to UNICEF, which warned Europe could be facing its largest refugee crises since World War II.

​Pennywise is proud to support Alight  (formerly the American Refugee Committee) during this time of crisis.  Alight is an international non-profit that has been monitoring the situation in Ukraine for months. They are all about finding others. About inviting people and organizations in who understand those they serve deeply, and who are doing incredible work around the world. For years they have been building a platform where these amazing organizations can come together, leverage each others strengths, and solve big problems while staying close to the people they serve. Together,  they are amplifying the good they do and developing new solutions and approaches for the displaced.

Right now we are raising funds for the Alight Rapid Response Team to provide on-going support to Ukrainian families as this humanitarian crisis unfolds.  They are well poised to provide immediate assistance to people in need. Please help.