The Casa de las Carcasas in the Merceria (the name does not refer to carcasses, but to cellphone cases) wants “Peace for Ukraine.” Emotions remain on high simmer around here.
Recently there have been intermittent donation drives here, as in so many places, in aid of Ukrainian refugees. (As of today, nearly 60,000 have arrived; their main destinations are Milan, Rome, Naples, and Bologna.) So far, at least in via Garibaldi, these drives have been organized by Caritas, the charitable wing of the diocese of Venice.
They needed toiletries, toiletries abounded. (Don’t forget children’s toothbrushes.) They needed clothing, we decimated our closet. Boxes have been left, meanwhile, in various churches to encourage the ongoing accumulation of goods.
But this coming Saturday there will be a big new all-day drive, and frankly, I’m kind of intimidated. This is far beyond toothpaste and socks; this effort seems to be gearing up to furnish a hundred M.A.S.H. units.
I translate: “In our churches we are gathering in specific containers the following sanitary materials until Sunday 10 April. PRODUCTS TO MEDICATE WOUNDS: Sterile and non-sterile gauze, surgical drape in microfiber, various bandages (sterile, self-adhesive, iodoformic), bandaids of various sizes, set of reusable plates, materials for sutures, suture removal kit, hemostatics (to stop bleeding), tourniquet, sterile and non-sterile gloves, first-aid kit for treating injuries, scalpel, tweezers and medical scissors, medical equipment (aspirators, oxygen concentrator, PAO gauge, glucose meter with strips), kit for bladder catheterization with disinfectant, or venous catheters, IV tube setup, normal and luer-lock syringes. OTHER MEDICINES: Antibiotics, pain relievers, anti-hemorrhagic medicine, fever reducers, antihistamines. Saturday 9 April there will be a special collection in via Garibaldi all day … thank you.”
I’ve studied Amazon wish lists, I’ve pored over wedding registries, I’ve even looked occasionally at Dear Santa letters, but this cry for help beats them all.
But let us not be daunted! You can get lots of these via amazon.it. Many of them are very cheap. If you should have ever felt any desire to send scalpels or iodoformic bandages or luer-lock syringes to anybody, this is your moment. (I am addressing any local people whose hearts may be moved by this exceptional appeal.)
Otherwise, plain old donations will never go out of style.
You can’t even walk out your front door without stumbling over ways and means to donate to Ukrainian relief. At the checkout counter at the Coop (I admire the logo they came up with), this poster appealing for aid takes front and center. Curious that the big word HELP is in English but I’m not going to stop to quibble. “We have no more words. Only a gesture. Coop help the civil population of Ukraine with a collection of funds to confront the humanitarian emergency. You too can participate with a donation: you can give 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 euros. #coopforucraina Ask the register operator. Coop favoring UNHCR Sant’ Egidio Doctors without Borders.”This is practically haiku. Here it’s a new little boy, but every baby is a cry for peace.
Another reason to love the spirit of Venice and the Venetians -old and new.
After so many years there, my familiarity remains so strong that I can feel the gathering collective sense of purpose and generosity, and hear the voices of many coming together, all the way over here in Australia.
In my minds eye, I can see the activity in the calli, chiese, and each local Coop.
So many parts of the world are determined to stand behind the Ukrainian people in any way they can.
But, I’ve not experienced another city with the ability to morph into a a tight knit village community in times of trouble the way Venice can.
By coincidence I signed up for a continuing donation to the Médecins san Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) yesterday, and yes, they really do need the supplies.
You would perhaps be surprised by how much kit people with long term health problems accumulate, and how much kit there is sitting in the cupboards of the people who have died from those health problems. Their relatives/friends can donate that kit, knowing that it will save lives, and honouring the memory of those they have lost.
Thank you for that last picture; it is profoundly moving.
USA is receiving Ukrainian refugees, but we’re mostly insulated. My area has a lot of 1st and 2nd generation Ukrainian Americans. Their culture seems to stay quiet, very religious, not put themselves forward in education, and the community promoted Ukrainian egg art years ago, so that’s what they’re known for here. Putin’s blazing reminder of what happens without free press, without legal negotiation, with bully leaders of a military that sanctions poisoning assassination at home… I wonder how it will withdraw, how it will be used by burgeoning populations of India and China. Mostly, I think I’ll work on gratitude and wonder and retaining a frayed sense of humor.
We pray for the people of Ukraine, for all those suffering or afraid, that you will be close to them and protect them.
I have recently started to read your blog and certainly got hooked to it!
6 Comments
Horrifying to know what dictators can inflict. Worrying at every level.
Thanks for including the uplifting final photograph.
Another reason to love the spirit of Venice and the Venetians -old and new.
After so many years there, my familiarity remains so strong that I can feel the gathering collective sense of purpose and generosity, and hear the voices of many coming together, all the way over here in Australia.
In my minds eye, I can see the activity in the calli, chiese, and each local Coop.
So many parts of the world are determined to stand behind the Ukrainian people in any way they can.
But, I’ve not experienced another city with the ability to morph into a a tight knit village community in times of trouble the way Venice can.
By coincidence I signed up for a continuing donation to the Médecins san Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) yesterday, and yes, they really do need the supplies.
You would perhaps be surprised by how much kit people with long term health problems accumulate, and how much kit there is sitting in the cupboards of the people who have died from those health problems. Their relatives/friends can donate that kit, knowing that it will save lives, and honouring the memory of those they have lost.
Thank you for that last picture; it is profoundly moving.
Thank you rla. The post is very well done, as usual, and very useful.
USA is receiving Ukrainian refugees, but we’re mostly insulated. My area has a lot of 1st and 2nd generation Ukrainian Americans. Their culture seems to stay quiet, very religious, not put themselves forward in education, and the community promoted Ukrainian egg art years ago, so that’s what they’re known for here. Putin’s blazing reminder of what happens without free press, without legal negotiation, with bully leaders of a military that sanctions poisoning assassination at home… I wonder how it will withdraw, how it will be used by burgeoning populations of India and China. Mostly, I think I’ll work on gratitude and wonder and retaining a frayed sense of humor.
We pray for the people of Ukraine, for all those suffering or afraid, that you will be close to them and protect them.
I have recently started to read your blog and certainly got hooked to it!