The Story of Pads 4 Refugees: An Organization Close to LHI's Heart

by Hannah Baron, LHI Volunteer

Melissa facilitated psychosocial activities at the Female Friendly Space during her time at the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece.

Melissa began her journey in the world of humanitarian aid as a volunteer at LHI’s Female Friendly Space (FFS) in Serres, Greece. Today, she’s the CEO and founder of her own aid organization, Pads 4 Refugees, which does exactly what its name suggests: provide pads for refugee women. She regularly distributes pads to refugees and asylum-seekers in Washington D.C. and in Los Angeles, California, and has made distributions all over the world, including in Ukraine, Gaza, Uganda, Venezuela, Mexico, Syria, Turkey, Israel, and Pakistan.

After getting her second law degree in International Human Rights law at Northwestern, Melissa struggled to find a job or an internship she felt passionate about. 

A friend suggested that she volunteer at LHI’s Community Center in Serres, Greece which at the time was populated almost entirely with Yazidi refugees. As it turned out, Melissa had written a lot about the Yazidi refugee crisis in school. Everything clicked into place. She decided to volunteer at the refugee center’s Female Friendly Space.

Upon arriving in Serres, Melissa was all nerves. She didn’t know exactly what to expect.

“And then it just seemed like–I think this is probably what everyone says–it just seemed like a really warm, welcoming place. I just instantly was glad I was there,” she said.

Melissa soon realized how important a supportive Female Friendly Space was for the women who gathered there. “They were all carrying trauma from the genocide that had happened to them, or what had happened to their families, and the idea was really just to give them a break from all that and to have a peaceful space where they could relax,” she said.

Women at the Female Friendly Space participate in a workshop preparing them to potentially work in a salon.

 At the Female Friendly Space, Melissa helped clean, run the social media accounts, and organize various activities like spa days, crochet circles, and movie nights.

“These women were carrying these hard burdens and they’re waiting to see if their asylum claims are getting met, but I just really enjoyed going in there and doing activities with them and getting to know them,” she remembered.

Melissa also learned that women got their period products at the Female Friendly Space. Each month she helped distribute period products to the women at FFS. The quality of pads the women received was not great, but with around 600 women and teenagers in need, even purchasing off-brand pads was very expensive. She thought about how helpful it would be to find someone willing to donate pads, so LHI’s funds could be redistributed towards other pressing needs, such as fixing a broken sewing machine.

When she came home from Serres, Melissa continued to have trouble finding work in her field. With all her free time, she wondered whether refugees outside of Greece  also struggled to find period products.

As it turned out, this was a problem everywhere. Even the major refugee aid organizations, like the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, rarely handed out pads, and families struggled to find the funds to buy them on their own. When funds are limited, most women tend to choose food for their family or diapers for their babies over period products, Melissa explained. Therefore, aid organizations are more likely to prioritize those necessities.

Her idea was to lessen the burden for  organizations like LHI that do provide period products by paying for the pads. 

“I thought, ‘I can’t find a job, I'll just make up my own job. And it’ll be CEO of a non-profit,” she said. “And I didn’t expect to get enough money to pay me a salary, but it was something to do.”

Pads 4 Refugees has enabled the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece to purchase high quality, name brand menstrual pads like those pictured here. Women are able to receive a package of pads each month at the Female Friendly Space.

Melissa started Pads 4 Refugees. It took about six months for her to raise enough money for LHI to be able to upgrade to high-quality, name-brand pads. Then, a group on another Greek island reached out to her, asking if she could help them provide women with pads as well. She could.

Melissa working on a pad distribution with MAM Beyond Borders, an NGO that LHI partners with to provide reproductive and sexual health seminars for women at the Female Friendly Space at the LHI Community Center in Serres.

To this day, Melissa says that she’s never reached out to any organizations asking if they need her help; they come to her. The humanitarian world is small, and words gets around.

Her biggest challenge is finding donors and raising money to meet everyone’s needs.

“I now have regular distributions with so many orgs in Greece and this one in Lebanon, and I just feel very obligated to keep it going. These women don’t have a lot of money to buy the basic things they need,” she said. “It’s not easy but I just think it’s the right thing to do, and no one else was really doing it at the time.”

Melissa’s next goal for Pads 4 Refugees is to boost her regular distribution in Lebanon so that the women there can use disposable pads all year round, rather than the reusable ones they often have to resort to now. To accomplish this, she has to stop expanding and start raising more money.

She says the easiest thing people can do to make a positive difference in refugees’ lives is sharing social media posts from aid organizations like hers that are looking for funding. You can also give, even if it’s just a few dollars. She stresses that you don’t have to give big to be a big help.

“I have several donors who donate monthly, and they donate five dollars, which people think is not a lot and it doesn’t make a difference, but…it actually does help. I’ve had donations that are like two dollars, but it just adds up,” she said.

Thank you Melissa for sharing your story with us! Pads 4 Refugees helps LHI supply women at the Female Friendly Space in Serres with period products, and helped us provide period products to women in Gaza. If you are looking to expand the number of organizations you support, we recommend Melissa and Pads 4 Refugees to you!

Helping the Helpers in Gaza

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Ambulance drivers in Gaza learn soft-belly meditation techniques to help mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fred Rogers, best known for his television show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, once told his young audience: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” These words of wisdom are comforting to the young and old alike—when bad things happen, it is reassuring to remember that there are good and kind people in the world. Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, LHI has learned there is another reason to look for the helpers: those who respond in times of crisis are likely to need help themselves.

Doctors, nurses, first responders, and other aid workers in Gaza are not only responding to situations that are dangerous, stressful, and frightening, but they and their families are also living in those same situations. These helpers in Gaza are at an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD, which include chronic pain, dizziness, headaches, irritability, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating, can get in the way of these helpers doing their jobs. And, unfortunately, in Gaza where borders and movement in and out are tightly controlled, Gazan first responders are the most consistent deliverers of aid and services in the region.

First responders attend a Mind-Body workshop.

Lifting Hands International has partnered with the Center For Mind-Body Medicine to provide psychological first aid for first responders in Gaza. Beneficiaries participate in Emergency Mind-Body Self-Care Workshops or Mind-Body Skills groups where they learn techniques for mitigating the effects of PTSD.

We’ve heard from some of the aid workers in Gaza who have completed these trainings. 

Salah, a 36-year-old resident of the northern Gaza Strip, in Jabalia Camp, works for the Red Crescent Society as a first responder. 

“Before attending the Mind-Body Workshop, I used to go out to treat the injured in a reckless manner without taking care of myself. It’s a miracle I survived. After learning and practicing the skills of the Mind-body, especially self-care, breathing and relaxation exercises, I began to take more care of myself, and come to myself, before going out to treat the injured. This has allowed me to better protect myself, staying as safe as others, and continue to be able to provide services to others. 

 Niveen, 38 years old, an administrative professional at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) shelter, said:

“I am a resident of Khan Yunis, and when the ground invasion and violent bombing began there, and my house was subjected to artillery shelling, I, my husband, and my children fled to Rafah. I have had so much stress, especially given our difficult living conditions ever since. I became more nervous, feeling terrified around the clock. I felt alienated from myself, my children, and my family, and I lost interest in myself and passion for life.

After joining the Mind-Body Group, I began to feel more self-assurance, and inner peace. I became more interested in myself and my family again. I practiced the self-care exercises I learned, and I started giving time to my hobbies. Now I am able to spread hope and optimism to my family, friends, and coworkers.”

Najat, 50 years old, a social worker at UNRWA shelter, said:

“I fled my home in Khan Yunis Governorate after my home was bombed with missiles, bombs, and flash bombs. I fled and left my home, my belongings, and my memories. I fled with my family to escape death. I moved to our relatives’ house, thinking that their house would be safer, but we were followed by bombing and explosions, as a house right next to us was bombed. I felt so unsafe, fearful, and I suffered from lack of sleep, anxiety, stress, fear, and increased nervousness with my children and husband.

After my family and I went to stay in the shelter center and I began working in there as a social worker, I joined Mind-Body Group. After practicing the skills they taught, I began to feel better in dealing with life and work stressors. I began to feel that there was hope in life, and that I will someday return to my home and restore it.”

LHI is committed to helping the helpers in Gaza, but we need your help to continue providing Center for Mind-Body workshops to aid workers and first responders. You can help by donating to our Gaza Emergency Response campaign. Any amount helps us keep this important work going. 

Travelogue: A Week in Ukraine With LHI

by Shannon Ashton, LHI Board Member

Flags bearing the names of fallen Ukranian soldiers in Independence Square, Kyiv.

February 12, 2024

Chisinau, Moldova

I’m on a bus from Moldova to Ukraine in support of crisis relief in the ongoing war in Ukraine. We’ll cross the border in just a little while. I’ll be all over the country documenting relief efforts and capturing stories from the front lines. This trip doesn’t come without risks so prayers for our team are gratefully accepted. 

February 15, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

We could hear a soft voice floating through the misty, cold night air in Odesa. A few people scattered on mostly empty benches. An attempt at normal life. Barbed wires and hedgehogs stand guard and nearby prized monuments are covered and sandbagged. We stop and listen. The music glides through the foggy night as a brave act of hope.

February 16, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

Vadim’s Odesa flat was destroyed by a drone attack two weeks ago. When he heard the siren he ushered his mother out of their first floor flat down to safety in a more secure spot on the ground floor of the building. That move surely saved their lives. Vadim, a young twenty-something, is a member of the LHI team working in Ukraine. He carries on—going to work and helping others. He quietly shared the news of his flat, and generously offered to allow us to visit, with permission to share. The trauma is fresh. No roof. Rubble covers everything, and what remains stands still in time. His neighbour across the hall was saved only because she was in the shower, literally the only space in her flat not completely destroyed. Vadim’s resilience and strength is incredibly inspiring. He even manages to crack a few smiles. I honestly don’t know how.  He is in a temporary shelter as he awaits an assessment to know if his building will be condemned, like so many countless others.  This happened just two weeks ago. The war is not over.

February 18, 2024

Kyiv, Ukraine

People here are trying to live their lives as best they can, but signs of war are everywhere. Very few spaces in Kyiv are without some reminder of war. Whether it’s blown out windows, pitted building walls, the darkened streets at night (curfews run across the country), minefield warnings, air raid sirens, sandbagged statues, sounds of explosions, the evidence of war goes on and on. Mostly it’s the long look of war on the faces of the people we meet. We chat to a few, they are curious about our American accents and why we’re here (no one is coming here). We’re met with warmth and gratitude for our support, but the trauma of war is written all over their faces. The men cannot leave the country. Many of age are already fighting. Those who aren’t wait for their call. Or maybe conscription will get to them first. We enjoy a nice meal; restaurants are open. The main courses come with a side of air raid sirens. War is relentless. And this is life in Kyiv, currently better off than what is going on in eastern Ukraine, where we go next.

February 19, 2024

Kharkiv, Ukraine

During our two days in Kharkiv the sirens were nearly nonstop. I’m so rattled by this experience. A missile struck the city while we were visiting program centers in nearby villages. There is no knowing when or where the strikes will come. We heard mines go off; every piece of earth is a minefield now. And with all this, your nervous system begins an internal battle. And in these eastern frontline locations the missile defense system is almost nonexistent. There is no time for detection or deployment as it’s too close to the source, Russia mere kilometres away. I was overcome with worry and anxiety as we settled into our accommodations for the night. The doubt and fear that creeps in when the sirens ring out. Where to go. What to do. This all layered on top of sleep deprivation. It’s psychological warfare. And I only have to deal with it for one week here. For those living in Ukraine it’s become a way of life. Reminders of war are everywhere as destruction lies in the dark wake of war. There is a resolute determination I find uniquely Ukrainian that completely overwhelms me. I feel so fragile here. 

A local artist gifted a heartbreaking painting to LHI. It represents the horrors of this war. Two years and still no end in sight.

To find out more about LHI’s programs in Ukraine, or to donate to keep those programs running, visit the Ukraine page on our website.

LHI Is There When the Headlines Have Moved On

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI sends shipments of humanitarian aid from our warehouse in Utah to Bangladesh every year.

Have you noticed that Gaza, which is entering its fourth month of bombardment, or Ukraine, which is approaching its two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, are no longer as prominent in the news as they once were? Why? Even when humanitarian crises remain, the news cycle moves on.

This is one of the challenging aspects of humanitarian work. Media focus on events like the war in Ukraine, the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza catch our collective attention and prompt us to look for ways to help. But, when the news moves on, often, so do the donations to organizations like LHI. 

 LHI founder and director Hayley Smith visited a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh in 2017.

Journalist Femi Oke recently spoke about this challenge on the NPR news show Here and Now. Her interviews with Rohingya refugees who’d lived in Bangladesh for 30 years revealed the fear of many long-term refugees: the world is forgetting about them. For people who depend almost entirely on humanitarian aid organizations and their donors for necessities like food, water, clothing and shelter, this thought is scary. But, with the global population of long-term refugees rising, the need for humanitarian assistance that leads to self-sufficiency is greater than ever.

While LHI is always poised to meet urgent needs, we have and continue to expand programs that facilitate increased stability and self-sufficiency for refugees along each stage of the refugee journey. These programs include: 

Women at the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece learn to cut hair. This is a skill the women can use to support themselves and their families when their asylum cases are processed and they are resettled in a new country.

Workforce training and income opportunities

From the language classes and barber trainings that take place at our community center in Serres, Greece to the food-packaging business and aesthetician training happening at the LHI Shelter in Lviv, Ukraine, LHI facilitates programs that prepare refugees for employment in the communities they live in or will resettle in. Our livestock program gives milk goats to Syrian refugees in Jordan who are then able to support their families from the sale of milk and milk products. And, we have a new community center in Lviv, Ukraine that offers an entrepreneurial accelerator program to internally displaced women, most of whom are single mothers because their husbands have been deployed or they’ve been widowed by the war.

Teams of mobile psychologists visit de-occupied villages in Ukraine and lead group therapy sessions for children and adults.

Social-emotional supports

In our programs in Greece, Moldova, and Ukraine, teams provide social emotional support such as sessions with psychologists, yoga classes, and art therapy for people who have experienced the trauma of leaving home behind for an uncertain future. In emergency situations like the earthquakes that hit Turkey in February 2023 and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, we’ve provided mobile psychological support for survivors and aid workers. These programs help refugees begin to heal and have hope for the future.

LHI’s Welcome Program volunteers add special touches to the apartments they set up for refugee families resettling in Utah.

Community Integration

Our Welcome Program alleviates the strain that refugees resettled in Utah feel by providing all of the items on the US resettlement agency’s checklist for homes for new arrivals. This means that refugee families will not have to buy them with the small stipend they receive. But the LHI Welcome team doesn’t just stop at the basic requirements! Our volunteers make up beds with handmade quilts and blankets, bring school supplies, clothing and toys for children, and always leave warm messages of love, support and welcome for families. 

While LHI remains ready to help in emergency situations, helping refugees achieve self-sufficiency and “the good life” is one of LHI’s main priorities. We depend on the support of LHI2G, our team of recurring donors, for a reliable source of funding to keep these programs going. Consider joining the team! No recurring monthly donation is too small. Plus, you will get access to a special behind-the-scenes newsletter exclusively for LHI2G members. Visit our LHI2G page to learn more!

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Volunteer Spotlight: Nikita

by Nikita Posvolskii , LHI Humanitarian Warehouse Volunteer

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita helps to translate box labels into Ukranian.

LHI works because of people like our LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita. Nikita is an exchange college student from Russia. He shared this essay explaining his interest in helping LHI’s humanitarian aid efforts, especially those in Ukraine. 

My name is Nikita. Two years ago I was a Russian student getting my undergraduate degree at a university in Moscow. My peers and I loved our country and planned to pursue our careers there. Although we clearly saw our current government's flaws, we believed that we could influence them to change the country we love for the better. Our faith began to weaken after the Russian government started expelling students from their universities for their beliefs and statements that didn’t align with those of the government.

The situation for idealistic students like me became even worse the day Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Saying anything against the war in Ukraine can get you 15 years of imprisonment for “discrediting the Armed Forces of Russia.” You can’t even call the war in Ukraine “the war in Ukraine” without being at risk because its official name in Russia is “special military operation.” If you name it “the war” you can get the same 15 years of jail time. In fact, in the first two months after Russia started the war, more than 15,000 Russians were detained for their connection with anti-war rhetoric and protests. This placed fear in Russian citizens, coercing them into silence for the sake of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. At the same time, it is a horrible feeling to sit and maintain silence when your own country invaded Ukrainian territory and occupied an independent country. It is hard to stay silent when you are against a war that has resulted in the death and displacement of ordinary Ukrainians. 

My feelings of helplessness eased in August 2022 when I came to the U.S. as an exchange student. It’s been amazing to study at a university where students are not afraid to talk about what they really think and believe in. I quickly realized that in the U.S., I could help Ukrainian refugees both in my host community in Utah and in Ukraine itself.

Nikita helps gather materials to set up an apartment for a refugee family resettling in Utah.

My search for the opportunity to help Ukrainians whose lives have been impacted by the Russian invasion led me to the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse in American Fork, Utah. 

I enjoy volunteering with LHI and helping to organize the warehouse, setting up apartments for refugees, especially those from Ukraine, packing orders for shipments overseas, and so much more. I especially enjoy translating the contents of the donation boxes into Ukrainian so it’s easier for Ukrainians to understand what is in each box when they arrive in Ukraine. I’m happy to be here in the U.S. so that I can help. In Russia, providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians is punishable by law. 

Nikita organizes shelves of aid that LHI includes in its international shipments.

I believe that it is important to help people who have lost their families and their homes. I am glad that I have found Lifting Hands International, an organization whose ideals match my own. Lifting Hands International exists and continues its work to change the world for the better. If you are a student in the American Fork area or just live there, I highly encourage you to get involved with LHI and make an impact to change someone's life. Let’s change our world and help those who are in need together!