Ukraine in Crisis: How Miami Moms Can Engage & Make a Difference

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I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to what’s taking place in Ukraine right now. The news updates, social media posts, horrific images of the devastation, and pleas for prayer are everywhere. And it feels so heavy. I know I find myself scouring news articles for glimmers of hope, just a little good news about Ukraine that might indicate the end of this horrible, unprovoked, and unnecessary war. But I’m often left with more questions than answers, and at a loss of what I can tangibly do to help. 

A fence painted like the Ukrainian flag in Kyiv, Ukraine

What can we do? What do we say?

It’s so hard to know how to help and how to explain what’s going on to our children. But it’s vitally important that we stay engaged in this current moment. City Mom Collective–a nationwide network of hyperlocal mom influencers (of which Miami Mom Collective is a part!)–recently compiled a series of helpful posts on topics like talking with your children about the war in Ukraine, and practical ways you can help.

Here are a few posts from a handful of our sister sites from that series that I wanted to highlight:

How to Talk to Your Kids About War (from Co Springs Mom Collective)
Talking to Your Kids About Ukraine (from Indianapolis Mom)
We Are Not Helpless: Ideas for Action in Response to the  Ukraine Crisis (from Houston Moms)
What if I Were a Ukrainian Mother? (from Fort Worth Moms)

Educating Yourself

There is a long nuanced history behind the current crisis in Ukraine, and we have a responsibility to educate ourselves and gather information from sources other than social media. In a recent NPR interview Molly Wetta, a librarian in Santa Barbara, CA shared a list of books about Russian history, Ukrainian history, and Vladimir Putin. I’ve included her list below.

About Russian History
Lenin’s Tomb
 by David Remnick
Russia Without Putin by Tony Wood

About Vladimir Putin
The Future Is History by Masha Gessen
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen

About Ukrainian History
The Gates Of Europe: A History Of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhz

You can look for hard copies of these books at your local Miami-Dade Public Library branch, or look for audio versions for listening on the go.

How to Donate

Organizations like UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and many others are directly involved in providing humanitarian aid to people in Ukraine. Read more about how moms can help with ongoing relief efforts here.

As moms, we have been called to parent in a broken world. Here are a few tips from our very own Kristin Parke about how we can do this well.

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Lynda
Lynda Lantz is originally from Côte d'Ivoire, where she lived until the age of 7 when her family moved to Northern VA. She graduated with a degree in music from George Mason University and went on to work with Cru at four universities in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. She was living in PA when she met her husband, Steve, on eHarmony and moved to Miami in 2011 just a few days after their wedding. Shortly before becoming SAHM, she was employed as an adoption caseworker and worked part-time with Cru at UM, and later Johnson & Wales University. Since then, she's been heavily involved in BSF which allows her to build relationships, pursue personal growth and develop leadership skills. She loves working with Miami Mom Collective and introducing people to this city she's come to call home, where she lives with her husband and two children. Connect with Lynda @mybalantzedlife on Instagram.