WESTFIELD, Ind. — Supplies for the people of Ukraine are pouring into Alona Voytko’s Westfield home.
Many of them coming from Ukrainian and Russian communities in central Indiana.
“A lot of Americans are also saying, ‘How can we help, what can we do, where can we bring?’” Voytko said.
For the 35-year-old social worker and her family and friends, collecting items to send to Ukraine is a way to stay busy, a way to push back against the helplessness they feel having family trapped in a war zone.
“It keeps you going,” said Voytko. “You can’t sleep at night because everything’s running through your mind.”
For Voytko, it’s the thoughts of her elderly grandmother that keep her up.
She’s 96 years old and lives four hours southwest of Kyiv in the town of Vinnitsa, where Voytko was born and lived until she was 13, before coming to Westfield with her parents.
“We check in every day,” said Voytko, explaining that a cousin is taking care of their grandmother, but can barely get her down to the basement when the sirens go off, warning of a possible missile strike.
“If the building is hit, she could be killed walking down the stairs,” said Voytko.
Leaving is out of the question.
“She can’t be in the car for so long, so there’s no means of fleeing because she won’t even make it,” Voytko explained.
Even if her grandmother could handle the car ride, it’s not safe.
“People are so afraid to flee because cars are stopped while fleeing and cars are being bombed. People are being killed,” said Voytko.
At the same time, Voytko’s cousin is just a few weeks away from giving birth, which likely won’t happen in a hospital, but in the basement where she’s been hiding.
“It’s going to be in a shelter, in conditions that are unthinkable,” said Voytko.
“It’s like you don’t know, what if something goes wrong during labor, what help am I going to get? I’m giving birth to this child, bringing him or her into the world. What’s going to happen tomorrow?” Voytko said.
They are questions no one can answer.
“It’s scary that one man can do so much damage,” said Voytko of Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding she doesn’t see an end, unless someone stands up to him.
“I think it will take his nation standing up and saying 'no more' and having uprisings,” said Voytko. “It will take high-rank people, military people, saying we don’t want to do this anymore, we don’t want to sacrifice our people just because you want to power.”
If you want to help, click here for more information about Indiana Supports Ukraine.
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