SALT LAKE CITY — Over the last year, August Mission, a Utah-based humanitarian group, has raised millions of dollars to help displaced Ukrainian refugees.
“The best way to help is not only to help them win the war, but to help the people that need it right now and start looking towards rebuilding now, because now is the time," said Bruce Roberts, the nonprofit's CEO.
Last month, Roberts led a delegation of business leaders and elected officials to meet with diplomats in Ukraine.
“All we wanted to do was bring some businesses to Ukraine and make some relationships that would drive investment, that would drive jobs, that would be mutually beneficial and that would help the people there," he said.
Utah tech leaders, like Owen Fuller, the CEO of Marq, volunteered to make a hiring website for Ukrainians looking for remote work.
“One thing we've done is try to make sure people are aware that there are great Ukrainian software engineers, designers and people that have other skills that are very valuable in the world of tech, that are open for work, and they need work," said Fuller.
The Utahns even got to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“He is informal, he's down to earth, he's approachable and he's exhausted," said Roberts. "I mean, he's been just working so hard on behalf of his country for so long now, and he's just asking for help. He's not asking for anyone to do it for him. He's just asking for us to help him win.”
Not only was this the first time Utah’s World Trade Center took a delegation into an active war zone, but this was also the first state delegation in the U.S. to come to Ukraine since the war began.
READ: Utah Senate President leads humanitarian, trade delegation to Ukraine
“In one small town that we went to, there were billboards that the mayor put up, thanking the people of Utah for their generosity because there's been so much that's already happened to rebuild their homes," said Fuller.
After the most recent Russian attack on a Ukrainian dam, thousands are displaced and in need of help. August Mission will keep raising money for the people of Ukraine until the war is over, said Roberts.
“There is a very strong need still," he said. "The war is very real. There are still millions of people displaced. There are still thousands of people being killed every day.”
