We are diving in and doing what’s possible
The war in Ukraine has caused the largest refugee crisis since World War II and has disrupted the lives of millions of people. It can feel overwhelming to think about how to help, or even where to start.
In moments and times like these, Alight’s values—the seven core principles at the center of our work—remain as critical as ever. These values are central to how we show up in the world every day. One of them is doing the doable.
Doing the doable is all about seeing potential through the impossible – and doing what we can do in the face of it. Even when problems seem too big to tackle, we dive right in with what can be done. Because we know that even actions can lead to big impact. And momentum can lead toward change. Touching one person through one act can inspire all.
One of the most inspiring things about our efforts so far is how other people have stepped up to lead the way alongside us. Whether it’s Ukrainian and Polish volunteers, organizations, city councils, and healthcare institutions, Finding Others—another one of our core values—has helped us Do the doable in the midst of this crisis. It’s the incredible generosity and abundant goodwill of others that buoys our efforts and helps guide the way.
In the face of what can feel so impossible—the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine—we’re rolling up our sleeves together and doing the doable for Ukrainian refugees. Because we might not be able to change everything. But we can Do the doable for the person right in front of us.
Doing the doable inside Ukraine
In Ukraine, stores are closed, and people are confined to their homes, shelters, and hospitals. The war has cut off supply lines, and many people are struggling without the bare necessities.
To help everyday people’s daily lives be a little easier, we’re reaching out and connecting with organizations and volunteers who we can channel support through, and who know what’s most needed, where.
We’ve connected with the Lviv City Council, hospitals, orphanages, and other groups to get essentials into the country. As a result, we’ve delivered 30+ tons of food for the 200,000 displaced people in Lviv and Kharkiv, non-perishables like soup, tuna fish, cereals, and baby food. And we’ve sent truckloads of medicines and medical supplies, including tourniquets, wound dressings, and plasma transfusion kits to hospitals and bomb shelters in Sumy and Kyiv. In this moment of crisis where supply chains have been disrupted, food and critical medicines mean survival.
An orphanage in Lviv is sheltering 600 kids (unaccompanied minors from war zones in Ukraine), children as young as 3-months and people with disabilities. To help alleviate the daily challenges, Alight provided medicines (like anti-epileptics and antibiotics), diapers, food, and baby food. [Photo above]
There are also the doable things that we can’t predict or plan for, but that we can jump in to help with when we can. Like an Ethiopian family, who was stranded deep in Ukraine. We helped this family get to the border and guided them to support and services on arrival. That’s the definition of doing the doable: acting in the moment, doing what’s possible for the person in front of us.
