Newport Hosting Ukrainian Solidiarity Event At Washington Square

NEWPORT, RI — A group of local volunteers, some with personal connections to Ukraine, is hosting a gathering in solidarity for Ukraine Sunday in Washington Square in Newport.

The gathering will start at 2 p.m. and will include speeches from Ukrainian Army Col. Oleksii Kalchenko and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

The event will begin with a gathering in Eisenhower Park, in front of the Newport Courthouse, at 45 Washington Square. Organizers encouraged attendees to bring their own flags and signs of support. Small, handheld Ukrainian flags will be distributed for free.

At 2 p.m., the choir of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Woonsocket will perform the Ukrainian National Anthem, “Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy,” which translates into English as “Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished.” This will be followed by a performance of “The Hymn for Ukraine,” which was written in 1885 and has become a spiritual anthem of Ukraine.

The event will then move inside the Colony House for several presentations, beginning with remarks by Kalchenko, who is attending the Newport Naval War College. Whitehouse will also take part in the event and share his perspective on what the federal government can do to strengthen its support of the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion.

Three internationally recognized humanitarian aid organizations will also be on hand. A representative from each will share what their organization is doing to help Ukrainians, and how members of the public may support their efforts by making a donation or volunteering. Those three groups are: UNICEF USA, based in Boston, Save the Children, based in Westport, Connecticut, and Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, which provides assistance to refugees and immigrants in the local community.

Each organization will have a table set up inside the Colony House and staff will provide information to those who would like to learn more. The Newport Public Library will also have a table, and library staff will provide recommended resources for those who would like to read more about Ukraine’s history and the current situation.

"The work these groups and many others are doing provides a glimmer of hope in the news from Ukraine," said event organizer Dan Snydacker. "There are thousands of staff and volunteers from each group currently in Ukraine, helping to save lives and bring relief. Dorcas International is an organization that provides programs and services to immigrants, and it will be on the front line should Ukrainian refugees come to Rhode Island."

For more information about "A Gathering for Ukraine," contact Dan Snydacker at dansnydacker@gmail.com or 401-525-1898.