Russia-Ukraine war: Maine retail association creates statewide relief program to send aid to Europe
Food, clothing donations will be accepted through April 1
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The Retail Association of Maine is calling on businesses and residents in the state to donate essential supplies to its relief program for Ukrainians in the embattled country.
As part of the From Maine to Ukraine relief program, the association is asking retailers around the state to donate new clothing and household items, which will be sent overseas to the Association Retailers of Ukraine to help the victims of war.
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The group says community members can do their part by donating any shelf-stable food items. This includes tea bags, instant coffee, energy bars, canned meat, assorted candies and pet food.
Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February, Retail Association of Maine CEO Curtis Picard reached out to Oksana Prykhodko, the CEO of the Ukrainian retail association, to ask how his team could help.
Picard told FOX Business it was hard enough to keep retailers open throughout the pandemic.
"I can't begin to imagine what it's like trying to help retailers operate during wartime," he said.
The retail association is working with individual businesses to collect and gather the donated goods at a centralized location in Maine. Meanwhile, seven Maine State Visitor Centers are serving as collection locations for food donations through April 1.
There is also a growing list of businesses that have signed up to collect food donations.
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The Retail Association of Maine plans to ship all the donations to the Ukrainian retail association's warehouse in Poland. The goods will then be distributed in Ukraine, according to Picard.