A Main Street merchant is collecting clothing for Ukrainian children.
For this shipment of clothing, the drive ends through Labor Day weekend.
Yelena Kushniruk, owner of Trends Boutique on Main Street, organized the drive. She is a Ukrainian American, born in Kyiv.
“We are collecting warm, lightweight, gently worn clothing for Ukrainian families, living and working in the Kharkiv region (South East of Ukraine right on the Russian border) which is in a war zone, constantly under artillery fire, bombardments, rocket and missile strikes,” Kushniruk wrote in a recent email.
“Winter is approaching, and it will be brutal, heating and electricity will be scarce or nonexistent,” Kushniruk wrote.
“Donated warm clothing — jackets, sweaters, pants, scarves, mittens, hats for adults and children —will keep somebody warm and will help immensely survive long cold winter months,” Kushniruk wrote.
She reported that Lisa McHenry, owner of knock * knock Toys and Gifts on Main Street, bought fleece hoodies for kids in different sizes and colors. “Thank you Lisa. Children will be warm and cozy thanks to your donation,” Kushniruk wrote.
McHenry also posted a flyer about the clothing drive on the door of her toy store.
“My neighbors in Bay Harbour community took this issue close to heart—every day [boxes] with donations [are] waiting for me, [with] my customers as well trying to help as much as they could,” she wrote.
She wrote that the clothing will be shipped by sea on September 5th and should arrive in Kharkiv before temperatures “plummet below zero.”
Trends is located at 222 Main St. Knock knock is located at 210 Main St.
