Saturday, 31 May 2025
America Age
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Font ResizerAa
America AgeAmerica Age
Search
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
America Age > Blog > World > ‘They’re just trying to survive’: East Cobb woman sends supplies to friends, relatives in Ukraine
World

‘They’re just trying to survive’: East Cobb woman sends supplies to friends, relatives in Ukraine

Enspirers | Editorial Board
Share
‘They’re just trying to survive’: East Cobb woman sends supplies to friends, relatives in Ukraine
SHARE

Mar. 7—EAST COBB — Inna Hanks never thought Russia would actually invade Ukraine.

“I was thinking what everybody’s thinking — no way would they go to war,” the east Cobb resident recalled. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had demanded the NATO military alliance pledge to never admit Ukraine as a member, would “flex some muscles, maybe he’ll get some conditions out of it,” she continued, “but there’s no way he will actually fire, right? There’s no way he’ll … literally start a war without any provocation.”

And then, one morning a week and a half ago, her friends and family in Kharkiv, her hometown and Ukraine’s second-largest city, woke up at 5 a.m. to news Russian troops had crossed the border.

More than a week into the war, many areas are running out of critical supplies. So, last week, she and her husband, Keith Hanks, residents of the Mulberry Farms subdivision, put out a call for the donation of medical supplies and other necessities, promising to forward them to Atlanta for Ukraine, a charitable organization founded after the invasion began.

The response has been overwhelming. Amazon packages ordered by strangers were arriving every 15 minutes, at one point. They had to commandeer the HOA clubhouse to store everything. Saturday afternoon, they stood outside the RockBox Fitness gym off Lower Roswell Road to accept in-person donations.

The gym is a little more than a dozen miles from Alpharetta. That is almost the same distance between Kharkiv and the Russian border, Keith Hanks said.

“To get from Russia to here, you just got to take a tank right down 400 and right up Johnson Ferry, and you’re here,” he said. “That’s it.”

Consequently, the city has been “a prime target of Russia’s assault,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

“The idea of the hometown that you grew up in, you’re watching it get shelled on TV — you’ve gone from, no one’s heard of this town that you’re from, to everyone, all of a sudden, knows about this town,” Keith Hanks said.

The Hanks have stopped accepting donations for the time being.

“We all have jobs on Monday, we’re not trying to become this nonprofit overnight,” Keith Hanks said. But they are encouraging metro Atlanta residents who want to help Ukraine to donate goods to Ukraine for Atlanta, which, in partnership with Meest, a company that specializes in “providing logistics solutions to Eastern Europe,” sends the items directly to Ukraine.

Kharkiv is a beautiful city, Inna Hanks said, “a young city, of students, of businesses, (a city) that’s vibrant.” Now, “they’re just trying to survive — things are starting to run out and cities like Kharkiv, the ones that have been, you know, surrounded since day one, that are being shelled nonstop … are in rubble.”

More than a million Ukrainians have fled the country, but most of her friends and family remain in Kharkiv.

“Every few days, we’ve been able to keep tabs on everybody as they come out of bomb shelters for a bit to get items,” she said. “Right now, (they need) medical supplies. We’re talking about everything from IV bags to gauze to Neosporin to Motrin.”

Of course, donating medical supplies won’t end the war. That will only happen when Russia decides — or is forced — to leave the country. And Inna Hanks said she understands that U.S. support for Ukraine is “complicated.” But, she continued, it is a mistake to assume Americans have no stake in the conflict.

“I hope people are also clear that … Ukraine is not the last,” she said. “This is going to get only worse.”

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article UN official calls for ending blockade of oil fields in Libya UN official calls for ending blockade of oil fields in Libya
Next Article Xi and Putin’s ‘No Limits’ Bond Leaves China Few Options on Ukraine Xi and Putin’s ‘No Limits’ Bond Leaves China Few Options on Ukraine

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Promise to Match Donations to Ukrainian Refugees Up to $1 Million

Blake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsJamie McCarthy/Getty Blake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsBlake Lively and Ryan Reynolds…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Russia is waging war on Jewish history — Why isn’t Israel doing something about it?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov just made Israel’s precarious balancing act on the war in…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Detroit police: Suspect arrested in fatal ‘random’ shootings

DETROIT (AP) — A person waiting for the bus and another walking their dog were…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Analyst Predicts Which NFL Participant Will Win MVP This Season

(Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)   With the beginning of the 2024 NFL season solely…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

You Might Also Like

Hamas should settle for hostage deal or be ‘annihilated’, warns Israeli defence minister – Center East disaster dwell
World

Hamas should settle for hostage deal or be ‘annihilated’, warns Israeli defence minister – Center East disaster dwell

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Anxious about weed: ought to London comply with New York and decriminalise hashish?
World

Anxious about weed: ought to London comply with New York and decriminalise hashish?

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Israeli airstrikes goal websites in western Syria, reportedly killing one
World

Israeli airstrikes goal websites in western Syria, reportedly killing one

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Trump will get tariff reprieve as he prepares Oval Workplace goodbye to Musk – US politics dwell
World

Trump will get tariff reprieve as he prepares Oval Workplace goodbye to Musk – US politics dwell

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
America Age
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


America Age: Your instant connection to breaking stories and live updates. Stay informed with our real-time coverage across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. Your reliable source for 24/7 news.

Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?