Thank you for your interest in helping the people of Ukraine as they suffer the trauma and devastation of war.
In 2022, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would accept 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Through our partnerships with JFS of Western Mass and HIAS, we at JFS committed to providing life-saving assistance to refugees arriving in the Metrowest Greater Boston area as the conflict continues.
Update 2/23/23 – As part of the Uniting for Ukraine initiative, The Shapiro Foundation, Alight, Social Finance, Kuja Kuja, Talent Beyond Boundaries, and Miles 4 Migrants are partnering to build a Jobs Sponsorship Program which will match Ukrainians with relevant skills and language to employers with substantial vacant jobs. Thus, the initiative creates a pipeline that predictably delivers large volumes of Ukrainian candidates who meet employers’ needs.
As part of this program, JFS is proud to partner locally with Bright Horizons to welcome 30 Ukrainian cases to the Metrowest and Greater Boston area. To support this endeavor, we are looking for volunteers and or community groups to secure and furnish apartments, welcome the newcomers, get them settled, and support them as they start work at Bright Horizons.
- If you are interested in forming a household team, please click and contact Sarah Leacu.
- To learn about other volunteering opportunities, please click and complete the form.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
MAKE A DONATION
Click here to help support Ukrainian refugees in the Metrowest Greater Boston area. Donations of any size make an impact! Here are examples of some of the costs that these families face and how your donation can make a difference:
$60 – Sponsor a family’s meal
$100 – Cover a family’s utilities for 1 month
$250 – Feed a family of four for 1 week
$1,000 – Feed a family of four for 1 month
$1,500 – Sponsor a family’s child care for 1 month
$2,500 – Cover a family’s rent for 1 month
If you have given in the past, please consider increasing your gift. If you have not yet given, please be as generous as you can.
If you would like to make a donation to support the efforts of our partners on the ground in Ukraine, click here to donate to CJP’s Ukraine Emergency Fund.
HOUSING
The first priority is always assistance specific to housing. If you have a separate space with a private bathroom, such as an in-law apartment, vacation home, guest house or rental property that can be made available to an incoming family, please click here and complete this form. Please note that due to strict guidelines, we are not able to place clients in living situations that do not meet these parameters.
PROCESS FOR SPONSORING A FAMILY
How can I help someone get out of Ukraine? Under the administration’s Uniting for Ukraine plan https://www.dhs.gov/ukraine, a U.S. sponsor (which includes friends and relatives as well as organizations) can file an I-134 Affidavit of Financial Support form. https://www.uscis.gov/i-134. This form will document that the applying sponsor(s) has the financial means to support the arriving Ukrainian(s) for up to two years, if necessary. Ukrainians must have been residents in Ukraine as of February 11, 2022; have a sponsor in the U.S; complete public health requirements (including vaccinations); and pass security checks. Starting on April 25th, U.S.-based individuals and organizations can apply to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to start the sponsorship process. All potential sponsors will need to provide in-depth financial support information and pass background checks. This plan is meant to be a streamlined process, with expectations that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will approve or deny these applications within a matter of days. After the I-134 is approved, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) will collect biometrics, run security checks, and register the Ukrainian beneficiary in a new CBP system called ATIS. This system will notify Ukrainians when they can book their travel to the United States.
DONATIONS OF FURNITURE, CLOTHING, HOUSEHOLD GOODS
During this terrible and upsetting time, we recognize that many feel the need to act now and we appreciate all offers of assistance. However, at this time, we are not prepared to accept any donations of furniture, clothing or household goods. If you have items that you would like to donate if a time comes when they can be used, please click here and complete this form.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
If you feel compelled to volunteer your time and talents to support incoming refugees, we invite you to click and complete this form to express your interest. If a time comes when your offer matches the needs, you will be contacted.
LEARN MORE:
- Click here and read a message from the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) to learn about coordination that is taking place as well as information about how you can send notes of support and friendship to our colleagues in the Ukraine. NJHSA will update this page as the crisis develops, so continue to check back to find a summary of resources as the situation currently stands.
- On March 18, 2022, JFS and other Jewish agencies via the JFNA (Jewish Federation of North America) urged President Biden to allow Ukrainian war refugees with current visa/refugee in process and have US family ties to be allowed entrance to the U.S. ASAP – Click here to read the letter (fedweb.org).
STAY INFORMED:
- Attend a community briefing on March 30, 2022, 7:30pm to learn how JFS and other Metrowest organizations are responding to the crisis in Ukraine. Registration is required, click here and sign up today.
- Live Updates: Our Partners on the Ground in Ukraine: CJP will be updating this post several times a week with news and updates from our partners on the ground in Ukraine as the crisis continues.
- HIAS Responds to the Crisis in Ukraine: HIAS is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries and is responding with emergency humanitarian assistance to those who are displaced. A HIAS response team was in Poland assessing ways it can assist Ukrainians — Jews and others — as they cross into Poland. They’ll be updating this page regularly.
- Click here for other news and information on this website about the Ukrainian crisis.
Be notified of the latest developments in real-time by following JFS on social media. Follow JFS on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Instagram and sign up to receive our monthly eNewsletter to be notified when opportunities to assist become available.
Thank you for your caring, compassion and offers of support.
Hope and prayers for the safety of all Ukrainians and peace soon.