Seven ways you can help Ukraine as a student

As students, even finding spare pennies for a night out or the occasional takeaway can be a push. We know that donating money to charities or providing housing for refugees can be out of reach, so luckily there are many ways you can help Ukrainians as a student and without breaking the bank.

1. Food Donations

Let’s be honest, we all have old tins of tomatoes and black beans in the back of our cupboards that we’re never going to cook with. And there’s no cookbook out there that can salvage that old jar of pesto you bought at the start of the year. Donation points do vary, although Morrisons seem to be consistent, with a food bank at the till all year round. A convenient way to donate the food you won’t eat whilst shopping for food you will! You can even support the cause through purchasing certain beer brands from Morrisons. It couldn’t be easier.

2. Other Donations 

Along the theme of donating, personal hygiene products and other basic necessities are highly sought after in donation banks for the people of Ukraine. With the end of year fast approaching, any bedding and unopened hygiene products that are no longer needed or won’t be taken home can be donated.

3. Shop at Sainsbury’s 

We all have a favourite supermarket that we are, for no reason at all, very attached to. But for a change, consider shopping at Sainsbury’s and get a Nectar card. Your donated Nectar points will be matched up to the value of £500,000 and will go towards helping people affected by the war. You may as well – what are nectar points even for, does anyone actually know?

4. Small monetary donations

Your loan may be stretched thin, but even a small monetary donation can go a long way. For every £46 donated to Unicef, they provide a family with fresh water and a hygiene kit. Now £46 sounds daunting and so out of reach, but if you and all your mates donated just a fiver each you’d have enough to make a huge difference to a family in need.

5. Share the Facts

Easiest of all, share the truth. We’ve all seen fake news spread across social media platforms and know how quickly rumours can spread. Tiktoks on nuclear bombs dropping in England, Tweets claiming the UK is going to war? Nonsense. This isn’t the time to be sharing misinformation and scaring each other and simply draws attention away from real issues. We can all help by doing proper research and sharing the word on what’s really happening.

6. Supporting People Directly

Etsy has just cancelled their listing and transaction fees for its Ukraine based sellers. Through buying an item of any price, money goes straight into the pocket of someone directly impacted by the violence. Many budget-friendly items on Etsy are posters and small pieces of embroidery, which are affordable if we skip just one round of trebs once a week. Etsy are also great for personal gifts for birthdays and special occasions.

7. Participate At A Protest 

There have been many protests for peace at Grey’s Monument since the war began and although it feels like this will have little impact, the Government will notice. Also, there are often petitions we can sign to influence and facilitate change for Ukrainian people, which also have a great impact. Look out for them on social media or search for them on Change.org and the government petitions website.

This is a time for coming together and realising that little things can be done in order to make big changes. Take time to reflect on these ideas, think about ways you can help people in need and do what you can!

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