My name is Maurice and I’m an American volunteer who arrived in Ukraine early April 2022. Initially when I arrived I was running high priority medical equipment to the front lines of Donetsk and after my third run I was pulled into the war effort and began training military units in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk.
During this period of time I became very close with commanders and soldiers of UAF and have been more motivated and driven by their courage, perseverance, and the love for life these men and women have.
I am a self sustained volunteer who has committed myself to the ongoing efforts on the ground without pay, and I’ve continued living off of work I completed before I left the states.
Volunteering here for months on end in Ukraine means for most that at one point or another we will all contend with one financial hurdle after another.
Sometimes these issues are housing, a medical emergency, or not having petrol and diesel to get where you must.Other times it can be training aides to make medical training more impactful, not being able to to replace components of your equipment damaged in artillery fire or small arms attacks, or simply not being able to get home at a moments notice due to a tragedy in the family.
Whatever the financial conflict volunteers may face, Protect a Volunteer is always here helping to protect and take care of us as we do our part to protect and take care of Ukraine.
I’m thankful to you and all of your team members, your donors, and those working behind the scenes who’ve helped me to stay on course.
Thank you for taking care of me in my time of need, helping me take care of the military units I operate with, and the people who make up the beautiful and resilient communities that have given me a place filled with so much longer and strength.
Maurice, american Volunteer
I observed PAV grow to fulfill a very specific, unique, and desperately critical need in the efforts to assist and provide within Ukraine.
The immensities of the war effort understandably over shadows a lot of great volunteer initiatives and more often than not, does not present a platform or voice for us to receive or campaign for funding (from within Ukraine or otherwise).
However, PAV directly fills that need, linking willing and active donors end to end with volunteers working in Ukraine. In my case, it was less than a week from a virtual handshake with my matched donor to much needed funding hitting my account. This allowed myself and my team to facilitate travel, lodging, and other necessities fast and effectively.
I stand by the opinion that PAV provides the most streamlined, involved, and authentic network to get funds in the hands of people taking on volunteer roles within Ukraine in support of it’s military and it’s people. I hope to preserve and nurture a long lasting relationship between our team, PAV, and it’s incredible pool of donors.
dynamic acquisitions, american trainers
I arrived in Ukraine in March to offer support to the country. After nine months of volunteering, I needed to go home for a short amount of time.
During my time in Ukraine, I did not receive an income. This is where Protect A Volunteer stepped up and was able to help me purchase a plane ticket home.
Most of us volunteers are not paid for our time, we rely on our own savings. The support from donors allows us to continue to provide support to the people of Ukraine who are in need.
american Volunteer