Prairie Gleaners send nearly 2M cups of soup to help Ukraine

By Medicine Hat News on April 16, 2022.

The Prairie Gleaners have been busy making a difference in Ukraine.

The local charitable organization has donated 37 pallets consisting of 19,704 bags of its dehydrated vegetable soup mix to NGO partners since December, all of which will end up in Ukraine, according to a Thursday press release.

Ten pallets, consisting of 5,240 bags total, were given to Abbotsford’s Global Emergency Missions Society in December, with the intended destination of Odessa, Ukraine.

“(This shipment) was delayed several weeks due to congestion at the Port of Vancouver,” reads the release. “Ultimately, the shipment did go and arrived in the Black Sea in February where it was turned away by the Russian military. The shipment was unloaded in Istanbul, Turkey. Our NGO partner (GEMS) went to work and arranged for ground transportation from Istanbul to Warsaw, Poland in March. This shipment will be distributed to either the Ukraine, or held in Poland to help feed Ukrainian refugees arriving in Poland.”

Two more pallets were sent to Faith Missions in Winkler, Man. in January, which was included in a shipment of clothing and medical supplies bound for Lviv.

“The Russian invasion delayed this shipment but on April 1, 2022 it was air lifted from Winnipeg, Man. to Warsaw, Poland and then trucked to Tuchapay, Ukraine where it is being distributed to refugees by Peter Nastasijchuk,” reads the release.

Another three pallets were given to Sherwood Park’s Amigo Relief Mission in March – which was sent to Warsaw and trucked into Ukraine – then on April 6, two more were given to Faith Mission for a future shipment to Ukraine.

On April 7, 20 more pallets were sent to GEMS, which will be loaded onto a ship bound for Gdansk, Poland on April 20 with an expected arrival of May 11.

“It will be trucked to Warsaw, Poland and further trucked into Ukraine, exactly where is to be determined by GEMS – depending upon the Russian military,” the release states.

When rehydrated, the 19,704 bags of vegetable mix will amount to the equivalent of more than 1.97 million cups of soup.