SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Boxes of much needed life-saving items will soon be heading overseas from San Diego, to help Ukrainians who are currently fighting for their lives.
And to make sure the goods get to where they’re needed the most, organizers here have teamed up with a Ukrainian who has already helped thousands of people flee to safety.
Andrey Gorokhov, his wife and their two young boys are now out of Ukraine and safe in Poland, but his heart is hurting for his homeland.
“We love freedom,” said Gorokhov, during a Zoom meeting with CBS 8. “We love democracy. We do have a national spirit. We do have a country. We want it to be prosperous and we don't want to become part of Russian Empire anyhow,”
Gorokhov is the CEO of a Ukrainian investment firm with 5,000 employees.
Fearing the worst, he immediately gave them all two months’ pay and helped those trying to escape, including one family trapped in a remote town.
“We had to organize an armored vehicle and that family had to walk for almost 8 miles during wintertime,” he said.
Now, Gorokhov has moved on to helping those who stayed behind to fight. And what they quickly realized is that the civilians don't have the equipment they so desperately need to be successful, like Kevlar helmets and bulletproof vests.
That's where Dermot O'Shea comes in. His San Diego based company does a lot of business in that area.
“We really felt the pain and suffering that was going on just from watching on TV and talking to our friends and colleagues over there and we felt helpless,” said O’Shea.
So, O’Shea got in contact with Gorokhov to help procure the items Ukrainians need most.
At first, they concentrated on the entire list, collecting items that included: boots, gloves, and thermal underwear, but now they're focusing more on harder to obtain items, such as, level four body armor plates.
O’Shea set up a non-profit called Unity for Ukraine, visit here to learn more.
O’Shea makes it clear, he's covering all local expenses, so every dollar donated will help the Ukrainians fight for their country's survival.
And for Gorokhov, survival is what this fight is all about.
“Our children have to live there. They have to be living in democratic society. They should be free. they should be part of European family and, in general, like a global, peaceful nation.”
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