BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It's been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, many efforts across the United States and here in Kern County have ben underway to assist the people of Ukraine.
Charitable organization CityServe Kern County works with local churches to offer a helping hand for people in need. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, CityServe has been helping with food, water, shelter, and assisting in any way they can, according to CityServe Executive Director Karl Hargestam.
"So we worked with centers created - refugee centers across Europe - and we helped with a fleet of vehicles, bringing food into Ukraine, and refugees, women and children mostly, from the war, bringing them out," said Hargestam.
Although Hargestam says the main goal of CityServe is to help victims, they also focus on giving resources in order to help people become self-sufficient in the future.
CityServe's most recent project in Ukraine has been distributing generators to Ukrainian citizens who have lost power due to the bombing of the country's electrical infrastructure. Through donations, CityServe has been able to send hundreds of generators to people across the country.
"Those centers, churches that have become centers where people go and charge their phones, get warm, get a meal - you know, many towns are so dark, but that has become that place where they can kind of get warm and hide out, so we're buying generators across Ukraine," said Hargestam.
CityServe has also recruited additional help from outside. For example, students at Grand Canyon University have assisted in the pre-packaging meals. CityServe has sent millions of meals to Ukraine.
Hargestam says it's not a matter of how the country will rebuild itself, but when.
"We know they will rebuild, but right now, it's just not enough, what they have, so we stand with them," said Hargestam. "We think - We know, in fact. We know that they are innovative, creative. They will keep building, and there's going to be a rebuilding process."
Hargestam says CityServe is committed to helping Ukraine for as long as they can, and will not stop until the country can rebuild itself without additional help.
If you would like to help CityServe provide assistance to the people of Ukraine, you can visit the CityServe Kern County website to find out more.
