Give winter gear to Ukrainian Defenders!

The goal of this campaign is to provide winter gear to Ukrainian Defenders, so they can stay focused on their mission rather than being distracted by the frostbite or simply being cold out in the field. This year, the winter gear items in focus of this campaign includes two layers of thermal underwear, fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and pants, winter gloves and hats, hand and foot chemical warmers, as well as warm socks that people bring to our location in western Ukraine. To contribute to this project - please click "Donate for Heat!"

Results so far:

Last winter (2022/2023), we raised close to $5000 in this campaign and were able to distribute: 823 pieces of thermal underwear, 194 fleece jackets, 296 pieces of snow clothing, 303 glove and hat items, 5500 chemical hand and foot warmers. In addition, we distributed more than 7,000 pairs of socks brought to us as a part of the “Socks of Victory” project in Ukraine in exchange for a handmade keychain with a part of a downed russian drone.

Why give winter gear?

Ukrainian defenders need warm clothing and chemical warmers, because Ukrainian winters can be VERY cold. How cold? Think about the winters in Northeast USA (Minnesota) or Southeast Canada (Ontario) - they are approximately at the same latitude as central Ukraine. Thus, proper winter gear is critical to ensure that the defenders at the front lines stay focused on their mission rather than being distracted by trying to keep warm. Click "Donate for Heat!" button to help!

What gear will defenders receive?

The goal of this project is to give Ukrainian defenders the winter gear they need to stay warm in the field. The winter gear includes 2 layers of thermal underwear (silk, rough), Gore-Tex parkas and pants, winter gloves and hats, as well as hand and foot chemical warmers (photos below). Some of these items customized and industrially manufactured on a special order from Sunflower Seeds Ukraine, in our colors and with our logo, and include support messages for the defenders (photos below). In addition, we will provide the defenders with a few thousands pairs of hand-made wool socks, hand-made in Ukraine as a part of 'Socks of the Victory' campaign (video below). To help, click "Donate for Heat!" button above!

Who will receive the winter gear?

The winter gear will be distributed from our location near Rivne (western Ukraine) to individual soldiers based on request received through an applicaiton form on our web page, as well as our social media accounts and messengers of our team members in Ukraine. The light thermal underwear, jackets/pants, hat/gloves, donated socks, and chemical warmers will be mailed by Nova Poshta service to the towns near front lines, where the requesters can pick up the packages. Items in larger quantities, for a small group or a unit, will be transported to the front lines on vans traveling there with other humanitarian aid. Click "Donate for Heat!" button to help!

How will the winter gear get to Ukraine?

The large and heavy ‘burzhuika’ potbelly stoves will be manufactured in Ukraine by our volunteers using a welding technique, and using the metal purchased with these donations - also supporting the local war-torn economy! The medium sized and lighter weight portable catalytic propane heaters will be purchased in Europe and delivered by our team members to Ukraine. The light-weight, high-quality, military-grade thermal underwear will be purchased at a surplus store in the USA, and transported to Poland by people traveling there for personal reasons, then driven across the border to Ukraine. Please support this operation by clicking "Donate for Heat!" button!

Special promotion: bring a pair of socks and receive a souvenir !

As a part of this 'Keep Ukrainian Defenders Warm' campaign, our team is running a special "Socks of the Victory" promotion in Rivne (Ukraine), where anyone who brings a part of warm socks for the Ukrainian defenders, would receive a brandned pen with a logo of Sunflower Seeds Ukraine. Last year, a similar campaign generated more than 7000 socks in exchange for keychains with a piece of a downed russian drone. Please watch this video to see how the drone was cut into pieces and how the keychains were made and distributed.

Next steps:

1. Please click "Donate for Heat!" button to support this cause with any payment card or other donation options, and track the progress of this fundraiser on this web page. This page will also show your name and your contribution, or you can choose to donate anonymously.

2. Once you complete your donation, you will be prompted to share this campaign on social media—please consider doing so. And add a personal note for your friends for extra karma points. Each repost can engage more supporters and save additional lives.

3. If you are interested in joining our fundraising efforts and our team, please click "Join Our Team!", email us at ukraine.sunflower.seeds@gmail.com, or message Sunflower Seeds Ukraine on social media. We can help you set up your personalized page for this fundraiser where you can add your pitch, and track your progress.

For regular updates about our efforts to save lives in Ukraine with individual first aid kits, and other interesting and useful information from Sunflower Seeds Ukraine, please like our Facebook page and follow our Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you for helping Ukraine!

Sunflower Seeds Ukraine

Spread Seeds of Help

Keep Ukrainian Defenders Warm!

By Sunflower Seeds Ukraine

Keep Ukrainian Defenders Warm!

Please help us give snow gear to Ukrainian Defenders, so they can stay warm this winter, and focus on their mission rather than being distracted by cold . To help - click "Donate for Heat!"