More than three dozen sites in Northern Virginia are collecting cold-weather gear to send to Ukrainians who fled their homes due to Russia’s invasion.
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, a council of 13 local governments, says it will collect donations for the next month.
Donations will be accepted from Wednesday, March 23 to Friday, April 15. Here’s a full list of sites set to accept donations.
Organizers are looking for these items:
- New and gently used coats
- New blankets
- New pairs of sweat socks and heavy socks
- New pairs of gloves
Elected leaders from Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Vienna were set to announce the program Wednesday.
A company in North Carolina will ship the items to Poland for free, and they will be distributed to refugees in Poland and Ukraine, according to the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
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The U.N. migration agency said that nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million who have already fled the country, according to the Associated Press.
Here's more information on how to help Ukraine, plus tips on avoiding scams.