---
title: Terps Unite to Support Ukraine
date: 2022-04-07T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/terps-unite-to-support-ukraine"
section: Articles
---
# Terps Unite to Support Ukraine

*April 7, 2022* — by [Annie Krakower](/author/annie-krakower)


> New Student Organization, Medical Supplies Collection and Body Armor Donation Among Campus Efforts

*Ukraine Ribbons 03162022 SC 3687 1920x1080 — Tetiana Tytko, standing, leads volunteers in making Ukrainian flag ribbon pins last month in McKeldin Library. She’s among the Terps banding together to support Ukraine amid the war. The University of Maryland Police Department is also helping the cause, donating 25 protective vests (below).*

When Russian troops stormed across Ukraine’s borders on Feb. 24 to begin a brutal invasion, University of Maryland doctoral student Viktoriia Savchuk was the one to awaken and alert her family in the city of Lutsk nearly 5,000 miles away.

Amid the surreal and scary moment, she knew she had to do something to help not only her loved ones, but the millions of others threatened by Russian missiles, bombs and ground assaults that have shaken Ukraine from East to West. She’s been heartened to see that others at UMD share her concern.

“It’s really important that the campus community is not staying silent,” Savchuk said. “We need to do our part. It’s not only Ukraine’s problem. It’s a problem of the whole world.”

Through collections, conversations and coming together, here’s how she and other Terps are working to support the cause in Ukraine:

**Creating Community** As the war broke out in late February, Terps like second-language acquisition doctoral student Tetiana Tytko, who is from Western Ukraine, looked for a community.

“I remember I just wanted to get connected to some other Ukrainians,” she said. “I knew that they were probably going through the same experience as I did, and nobody else could understand me at that time. I felt very lonely, very disappointed, very much lost and saddened.”

With the help of posts on Reddit and other social media, Tytko and 42 fellow members of the campus community who want to show support formed the new Ukrainian Student Association. Together, they organize and attend rallies and vigils, like the [one held on McKeldin Mall](https://today.umd.edu/terps-gather-to-call-for-peace-in-ukraine) shortly after Russia invaded; host fundraising events, such as a screening of the Ukrainian movie “Homeward;” and raise awareness by distributing Ukrainian flag ribbons and crocheted sunflowers, which have become a symbol of peace in the country.

Although the group is not yet an official UMD club, the mutual support is enough to make an impact, Tytko said.

“The most important thing is what we can do collectively as a group of people to raise some money to help Ukraine, to help each other in this situation, to go to the protests together,” she said, “to just collectively feel as if we’re being useful, even being far away from home.”


*Body armor*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [War in Ukraine](https://today.umd.edu/topic/war-in-ukraine)


**Units:** [University of Maryland Police Department](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-maryland-police-department)