Direct Relief Grants $7.9M in Medical Aid to Ukraine
Santa Barbara–Based Nonprofit Gave More to War-Torn Country Than It Did to Any Other Nation in 2022
Direct Relief, a humanitarian charity operating out of Santa Barbara, has been particularly busy this month, announcing that its recent initiatives include granting $7.9 million in cash aid to help Ukrainians who’ve suffered injuries or trauma in the war access medical care and rehabilitation services. December’s grant, which has been the broadest issuing of support to Ukrainian groups from the organization so far, brings Direct Relief’s total cash assistance for programs benefiting Ukrainians and Ukrainian refugees up to a considerable $29.4 million.
It is possible that when Santa Barbara Rep. Salud Carbajal visited Ukraine earlier this month, his trip may have overlapped with that of Direct Relief’s CEO Thomas Tighe, who was in Ukraine and Slovakia to announce the grants alongside the mayor of Lviv, the U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia, and leadership from the ministries of health and local organizations in both countries.
“The Ukrainian people need all the help that can be mustered,” Tighe said in a recent press release, finding an echo in Carbajal’s own thoughts toward the subject. “This unprecedented private humanitarian health assistance from Direct Relief reflects the generosity and participation of people and businesses worldwide seeking simply to stand with and assist the people of Ukraine. It was a privilege to convey that message….”
