LVIV, UKRAINE (KFGO) – After collecting 17,000 pounds of winter weather gear and other supplies in the U.S. during “Operation Sleep Out,” Mark J. Lindquist is back in Ukraine.
Lindquist arrived in Warsaw, Poland late Friday night and crossed into Ukraine Saturday morning on his way to Lviv.
The supplies Lindquist collected during “Operation Sleep Out” should be in Lviv within 10 days. Until then, he said he is going to launch a new campaign called “Operation Direct Help.”
“I’m trying to solve a couple of problems,” Lindquist said. “People in America don’t know how to help, but they’re also wondering – if they donate something, is it actually going to get there?”
Lindquist said there are plenty of supplies in Poland and Ukraine. He said he wants to raise money to buy more supplies over there.
For accountability, he said he will give the donor a tracking number and picture of the supplies actually being delivered.
Lindquist said he will roll out a plan for how people can help soon.
“I will be publicizing lists of $1,000-$2,500 at a time and then working to find the local VFW, American Legion, church, or volunteer group that takes responsibility for that list,” Lindquist said. “Kind of like Operation Christmas Tree – you take a tag off the tree and now you’re going to send the money to sponsor that stuff we can buy locally.”
Lindquist said he doesn’t have a specific timeframe for how long he will be in Ukraine, but he plans to be there for months at least.
A podcast to document his work in Ukraine is one way Lindquist plans to keep the people back in the U.S. up to date on what is happening over there. More information is available at markjlindquist.com.
