Northbrook resident Jeff Kaminsky is trafficking in gifts, both traditional and not, in mass quantities, this holiday season. And to a war zone.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kaminsky has been driven to help people uprooted by the conflict and founded Project Aid & Rescue.
Collectively, they've provided more than $30 million in humanitarian aid, coordinated evacuations of thousands of Ukrainians to safety, and delivered urgently needed medical supplies and first-aid kits. A gift of $3,500 can evacuate 90 people by bus. For $1,000, a family can receive a generator; $2,500 can provide a generator to a hospital operating room. A $10,000 donation can purchase an ambulance."The way we think about the holidays here in America is very different for the people in Ukraine this year," Kaminsky said."They're less concerned about the toys, although a child always looks forward to a toy, especially during the holidays.
In March, 12 days into the war, Kaminsky hopped on a plane to Berlin. Using Google Translate on the fly, he burned up his cellphone securing medical treatment, finding transport vehicles, and arranging hotel rooms for more than 1,600 Ukrainian refugees -- mostly women, children, the elderly and infirm -- before they secured more permanent lodging in Germany or fled to surrounding nations.
"People say, 'Were you a Boy Scout?' Actually, I was. I guess I'm one of those guys who runs in while everyone is running out, and says, 'What can I do to help?'" said Kaminsky, not surprisingly a member of Northbrook's Community Emergency Response Team."I had a decision to make.
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