Dear Placentia Library District Patrons,

In solidarity with Ukraine.

If the last two years are any indication of the power of libraries, you, our patrons, know intimately how quickly and compassionately your Placentia Library District has responded. In times of crisis, libraries continue to play a vital role in the democracy and livelihoods of the people we serve. Though it is repeatedly one of the first public agencies to be drastically impacted by budget cuts, library workers somehow find ways to serve their patrons and still have long lasting impacts to the many who visit them in person and virtually.

We venerate the compassionate actions of our colleagues in Ukraine – offering bomb shelters, camouflage classes, reading materials, storytime and programs to distract children from the violence just steps away from where they are, and of course access to information and not disinformation to families in Mykolaiv and other parts of the country. As community connectors, libraries embrace their expanded roles as emergency and social responders. Libraries have responded to challenges in unity and continued to stand by our colleagues across the globe. Today is no different.

As we watch the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine with a sense of helplessness, our team has committed to providing assistance from afar. If you would like to join us in our efforts, below are links to send your donations (credit: New York Public Library).

• The International Rescue Committee is taking donations to help support displaced Ukrainian families.
• GlobalGiving, an international nonprofit that connects charitable campaigns to donors around the world, has set up a Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. 
• UNICEF is increasing emergency response efforts throughout Ukraine. 
• Doctors Without Borders, long a stalwart in humanitarian work, outlines its efforts in Ukraine and how you can help. 
• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) provides direct cash assistance to those in need and helps provide opportunities for resettlement in the United States. 
• CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund aims to raise $20 million.
• Voices for Children Foundation serving the psychological needs of children since the start of the war in 2015, specializing in art therapy and general psychosocial support 
• Support journalists in Ukraine continue operations through the Kyiv Independent donation page. 
• Save the Children, a global non-profit with the mission to lifesaving relief to children and deliver essential humanitarian aid, is calling for donations.
• World Central Kitchen is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as residents who remain in the country.

To support Ukrainian-focused organizations:

• The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, a non-profit headquartered in the East Village, has set up a #SupportUkraine donation page. 
• Vostok SOS is a Ukrainian-based humanitarian aid organization.
• United Help Ukraine is a nonprofit founded in 2014 to support those in Ukraine affected by war and the Russian annexation of Crimea.
• Razom for Ukraine, meaning “together” in Ukrainian, is a non-profit providing critical medical supplies to those in Ukraine.

Libraries support one side – humanity.

Respectfully,

Jeanette Contreras
Library Director