Friends In Action International, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Middletown, is providing direct aid to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
FIA is helping through ministry partners at The University of Divine Grace (UDG) in Moldova. Currently, the university is housing close to 300 refugees in its dormitories, conference rooms, and joint summer camp facilities.
Serghei Namesnic, serving provost, noted that thousands of people are arriving with no documents, no place to stay, and no resources. Namesnic and the UDG professors and students are reaching out to help. After their classes end, dozens of students head to the border each evening to provide aid.
Since 2009, FIA has supported Central Asian student education at the university as members of the next generation of pastors, teachers, business personnel, and social workers are trained to take the Gospel back to their homeland countries. Now, these students are putting their education into practical action by counseling and providing emergency care for hundreds of displaced people each day.
At the border town of Palanca, Moldova, faculty and university students are distributing blankets, hot drinks and food to the travelers they meet. The Chisinau, Moldova, university campus and support facilities have become a haven for 300 refugees, and students have organized activities and makeshift schooling for close to 50 children housed there. With the benefit of an automotive mechanical training program, UDG has additionally been able to help support those traveling by vehicle with free maintenance and repair services, enabling stranded travelers to continue on their way into Western Europe.
Friends In Action is committed to initially providing $50,000 to support the UDG outreach and refugee support efforts. Refugees are provided with essentials, medical care, and emotional and spiritual counseling.
For more information or to donate to FIA's efforts to support UDG's frontline outreach work among refugees, visit http://www.FIAintl.org.
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