Fundraiser For Ukraine Relief Collects Nearly $13K In Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Annapolis nonprofit raised nearly $13,000 for Ukrainian relief efforts last Saturday. The money will help feed Ukrainians affected by the ongoing war with Russia.

The group, Books for International Goodwill, collected the money through a book sale. The organization donated half the revenue to World Central Kitchen, a charity that feeds anybody in crisis.

Books for International Goodwill, also known as B.I.G., tallied $4,016 in sales at last week's event. That meant Books for International Goodwill donated $2,008.

Attendees also gave $885 in cash. The Hollins Family Foundation contributed another $10,000, bringing the total donation to $12,893.

Books for International Goodwill is an arm of the Parole Rotary Club, a body that supports Annapolis businesses. There will be normally scheduled book sales on April 15 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and April 16 from 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. Both events will happen at 451 Defense Highway.

To learn more about Books for International Goodwill, visit big-books.org. More information on the rotary is posted at parole-rotary.org.

World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen will use the money to support its operation in Europe. Montgomery County Chef José Andrés founded the nonprofit in 2010.

The group has since served more than 50 million fresh meals to victims of natural disasters and other crises around the globe. It has helped residents of The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, the United States and now Ukraine.

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World Central Kitchen is currently cooking for residents sheltering in Ukraine and refugees fleeing the country. The organization has served 3 million meals since Russia invaded a month ago.

In the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Word Central Kitchen is making 16,000 hot meals and 10,000 sandwiches each day. The kitchen on Sunday sent a semi-truck filled with food from Lviv to Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine.

The charity also has operations for refugees who escaped to neighboring countries like Hungary, Moldova, Poland and Romania.

For additional details on World Central Kitchen, head to wck.org.

Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine?

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Troops have stormed swaths of land, and missile attacks have swept the nation.

Unlike Russia, Ukraine is becoming more democratic.

Ukraine applied to join the European Union on Feb. 28. This suggests that the former U.S.S.R. member wants to deepen its political and economic ties with the democratic powers of Europe.

The country has also been more friendly with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military pact composed of the U.S. and its allies. Ukraine is not an official member of NATO, however.

Russia has warned for years that it would counter NATO's push toward Eastern Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Russia still occupies this peninsula between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Russia escalated that tension late last year by sending about 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine. That drew speculation that Russia would soon attack.

Putin has since ramped up his assault on civilian areas. Ukrainian authorities said Russia killed about 300 people last week in an airstrike on a shelter in the southeastern city of Mariupol.

Russia continues to advance from the northern, eastern and southern borders. Troops stalled during their push toward Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. A map of the warzone is available in this story from the Associated Press.

Ukraine previously asked NATO to supply warplanes or establish a no-fly zone over the country. This would protect the nation from Russia's aerial attacks.

NATO rejected these requests, however. The alliance feared that these actions would bring the West into direct combat with Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden instead promised more military aid.

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• Pro Ball Player Safely Arrives In Prince George's From Ukraine
• State Leaders Hold Vigil In Solidarity With Ukraine
• Vigil For Ukraine Set As MD Condemns Bloody Russian Invasion

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