Associated Students assists with organizing fundraiser for Ukraine
Tania Tolstykh stood front and center at a small folding table with a group of friends on Santa Monica College’s (SMC) bustling main quad, selling boxes of fresh, homemade cookies – made personally by Tolstykh – to help raise money for those who are suffering in the ongoing war in Ukraine on Tuesday, April 8.
A Ukrainian native herself, Tolstykh wore a bright smile as she promoted the fundraiser along with fellow Ukrainian native and SMC student Adriana Lanchevych, to the large groups of students that passed by.
“We’re doing a fundraiser for Ukraine, which is called United for Ukraine,” said Tolstykh. “There are six clubs participating, which are: the Santa Monica Beach Volleyball Club, Creator Rewards Club, Psychology Club, Business Club, MUN, and French Club – all organized by Associated Students.”
“I’m the main organizer of the whole event,” said Tolstykh. “We’re here just united with the idea, because I think that there’s not a lot of things happening for Ukraine, and we just wanted to come together and support our country.”
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia conducted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, catapulting Europe into the bloodiest conflict on European soil since World War II. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Russo-Ukrainian war has killed upwards of 43,000 Ukrainian troops as of the end of 2024; internally displaced an estimated eight million people; and led to an additional eight million people leaving the country.
With the state of Ukrainian and American relations rapidly declining, especially in the wake of the Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump on Feb. 28, advocacy and support for the Ukrainian people has become increasingly important to activists worldwide, Ukrainian and otherwise.
As the afternoon continued, some students stopped out of curiosity while others stopped to banter with their friends behind the table.
Thanks in part to the Health and Wellness Pop-Up, an unrelated event that was happening at the same time as the fundraiser, the quad managed to see a decent uptick in foot traffic. The donations racked up a total of $382.25, according to an Instagram post set up for this specific fundraiser.
The funds were transferred over to the group Friends of Be an Angel, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees and rescue efforts by providing humanitarian aid, medical evacuations, and mental health education programs for Ukrainians suffering from the full-scale invasion.
“We came across them while researching trusted organizations that are transparent, efficient, and directly involved on the ground in Ukraine,” said Tolstykh in regards to Friends of Be an Angel. “What really stood out about them is that they have teams working closely with local communities and refugee centers. We chose them because we wanted to make sure that every dollar raised went directly to people in need.”
To support Friends of Be an Angel or check for future fundraisers from United for Ukraine, visit https://friendsofbeanangel.org/.