JTS America
  • Menu Canvas
    • About Us
      • Who We Are
        • Venerable Pomnyun
        • Meet Our Volunteers
        • Our History
      • Family Site
        • pomnyun.com
        • jungtosociety.org
        • jts.or.kr
        • jungto.org
      • Contact Us
        • JTS America
        • JTS Korea
        • Financial Statements
    • Our Work
      • India
        • Sujata Academy
        • Jivaka Hospital
        • Village Development in India
      • Philippines
        • Education Support
        • Village Development
      • Korea
        • South Korea Support
        • North Korea Support
      • Yearly Report
        • Yearly Report
      • Media
    • News & Stories
      • News from India
      • News from Philippines
      • News from South Korea
      • News from North Korea
      • News from around the world
      • Donation Campaign
      • Newsletter
    • Donate
Donate
JTS America
MENUMENU
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Venerable Pomnyun
          • Meet Our Volunteers
          • Our History
        • Family Site
          • pomnyun.com
          • jungtosociety.org
          • jungto.org
        • Contact Us
          • JTS America
          • JTS Korea
          • Financial Statements
  • Our Work
        • India
          • Sujata Academy
          • Jivaka Hospital
          • Village Development in India
        • Philippines
          • Education Support
          • Village Development
        • Korea
          • South Korea Support
          • North Korea Support
        • Yearly Report
          • Yearly Report
        • Media
  • News & Stories
        • India
          • News from India
        • Phillippines
          • News from Philippines
        • Korea
          • News from South Korea
          • News from North Korea
        • Emergency Relief
          • News from around the world
        • Donation Campaign
        • Newsletter

2. Traveling to Ukraine, a Land Where Spring Has Yet to Arrive

Homepage JTS America JTS Stories 2. Traveling to Ukraine, a Land Where Spring Has Yet to Arrive
JTS America, JTS Stories, News from around the world

2. Traveling to Ukraine, a Land Where Spring Has Yet to Arrive

April 21, 2022
By jtdharma
0 Comment
148 Views

It’s a snowy Saturday in March.

The sudden snow reminds us of Russia’s sudden invasion of Ukraine and  saddens us. 

Today, we tell the story of our second visit to Ukraine and our process of urgently delivering tourniquets to Ukraine. 

The sixth day of our visit to the border of Ukraine was March 15, 2022. Our team explored Beregsurany and Tiszabecs in Hungary and then headed to Romania. We saw many teenagers in the refugee camp, which was located 2km from the border of Hungary. We heard that there were only teenagers on the bus from Ukraine this morning. This refugee camp was better organized compared to other camps. We did not see any refugees at the camp in Tiszabecs. Volunteers were prepared to welcome refugees. 

The seventh day of our visit to Ukraine was on March 16, 2022. We traveled to Halmeu, Romania, and visited the refugee camp in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. There were three booths at the camp on the border in Halmeu, Romania. It was very quiet there. We heard that there is an organization that takes care of refugees in Uzhgorod, Ukraine, and we headed there.

It was relatively easy to travel to Ukraine from Halmeu. The area was 112 km from the border, and the road was bumpy. The hotel that we visited was upscale, smelled like coffee, and played soft music. We saw some people eating breakfast. There was no indication  that there was a war in that area.

After a bumpy ride due to big potholes in the road, it was difficult to find a refugee camp  in Uzhgorod. The camp that we managed to find was a two-story building, and had four rooms, temporary beds, and a small kitchen. Forty refugees stayed there. The building was well-managed, but there was no food storage because there was no refrigerator. They had to deliver food from distant places. JTS shopped at an electronics store to buy a refrigerator. 

Products on the shelves were sparse. We saw a refrigerator produced by Korea’s “L” company. It was a bit expensive, but we bought it anyway because of the quality and our wish for them to remember Korea. Volunteers at the camp stated their appreciation again and again and said that they can cook now as they can store ingredients. 

The scenery of the sunset and fields that we saw on the way back from the store was beautiful. But we realized  there was a war in that area by seeing  cars lined-up at a dark gas station. When we told a volunteer at the camp that we donated a refrigerator after we crossed the border, the volunteer was very happy. 

Our next story is about the urgently delivered tourniquets that were requested by the refugee camp at Mukachevo, Ukraine on March 14. 

On March 15, tourniquets were running out in Hungary where the team was staying. There was a notice to all JTS activists in Europe: “Find tourniquets.”

All were worried as there were no tourniquets; and they knew that tourniquets were in need all around Europe.

On March 15 at 6am, JTS America received a request for tourniquets. We found that there were tourniquets available  around $7-$12 ea. at Amazon and Walmart. We agreed to purchase at Walmart since we could pick them up at the store without the need to wait until they are delivered. We contacted the supplier directly, and the supplier  suggested $4.50 ea. if we made a large purchase. But the supplier was located in New York. If they were delivered to Washington D.C., where the headquarters of JTS is located, it would be too slow. Thus, we decided to expedite the delivery by receiving them in  New York. 

We had to find a volunteer who would pick up the items in New York and ship  them out. We contacted Myungsuk Lee, a longtime volunteer of JTS who lives in New York. The pickup location was a 1.5 hour drive from her place, but she was willing to do it. We purchased 300 tourniquets, paid online, contacted her to pick them up, and ship them to Hungary right away through expedited mail. 

We decided to purchase an additional 3000 tourniquets after discussing it with the team in Hungary. Since most volunteers have to  work during the day, we needed to find a retiree to help.  As we have 15 boxes, and each weighs 15kg, we asked for help from volunteers in the Jungto Society in New York.

JTS America purchased all items through the internet and phone calls, Jungto Society in New York picked up the tourniquets, packed them, and shipped them to Hungary before the post office closed.

All volunteers were located in different areas, but they were happy to work fast and communicated very closely through phone calls and the internet. 

The tourniquets that were sent to Hungary will be delivered to our team at the border , and will be eventually sent to Ukraine. Can these be delivered to Ukraine safely under war conditions?


Previous Story
1. Traveling to Ukraine, a Land Where Spring Has Yet to Arrive
Next Story
3. Traveling to Ukraine, a Land Where Spring Has Yet to Arrive

Related Articles

JTS provided a second round of relief to aid to 4,000 households in Sindh, Pakistan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaUEPsJErRs JTS provided a second round of relief to aid...

JTS Philippines Project: Repairing the elementary school building at Alawon, a village that touches the sky

Alawon is a remote village located in the deep primeval...

Recent Comments

  • July 2021 JTS America Newsletter | JTS America on JTS Provides COVID-19 Emergency Relief Aid to Tamil Nadu, India.

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Tags

coffee dungeshwari hospital india jivaka jtskoreavolunteers kanahol kawilihan newsletter Philippines Philppines pump sujata academy villages

Learn More

  • Donate
  • About Us
  • Our Work
  • News & Stories

Contact Us

  • 4361 Aitcheson Rd. Beltsville, MD 20705
  • Phone: 1.301.655.9150
  • Email: jtsamerica@jtsint.org

Follow Us

©2020 JTS America | JTS is in special consultative status with UN ECOSOC
SearchPostsLogin
Thursday, 16, Feb
JTS provided a second round of relief to aid to 4,000 households in Sindh, Pakistan
Thursday, 2, Feb
JTS Philippines Project: Repairing the elementary school building at Alawon, a village that touches the sky
Thursday, 24, Nov
20 Years of Miracle in JTS Philippines
Thursday, 3, Nov
Join Together Society (JTS) provides emergency relief aid to flood victims in Pakistan.
Friday, 21, Oct
September 2022 JTS America Newsletter
Thursday, 22, Sep
July 2022 JTS America Newsletter

Welcome back,