KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Knoxville, Tennessee, residents Susie Johnson and Ken Graves recently successfully completed a humanitarian mission in Ukraine assisting refugees before returning to their home in Knoxville. They volunteered with a non-profit organization that meets refugee trains to assist with shelter resettlement.
The volunteers provided humanitarian aid including preparing meals, sorting materials for displaced individuals, and constructing camouflage nets at the Lviv public library during their stay in the country.
Knoxville resident Susie Johnson stated and noted that the trip aimed to personally express support for Ukrainian sacrifices during the mission.
"We take so much for granted here. We came so far to personally say we support you. That is what this was all about," Johnson said.
She also reported that a community-wide moment of silence occurs daily at 9 a.m. in Ukraine, halting all activity.
Knoxville resident Ken Graves described the resilience of the Ukrainian people during the conflict. "They are so resilient. They are carrying on their lives as normal. Air raid sirens are going off or there's major reports of these hypersonic missiles or drones," Graves said.
Johnson added that Ukrainians value their freedom highly. "This is real, and these people value their freedom more than their lives, and they're gonna put them on the line. I can't imagine living like that," Johnson said.
The pair from Tennessee anticipate returning to Ukraine again in the spring of 2025 to continue their future support efforts there.
No independent assessment was available for this report.