NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 17, 2022 / UkraineFriends.org, a group of activists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists providing direct support to Ukrainian civilians, today announced that it is working with Airbnb.org to evacuate and house evacuees fleeing Ukraine.

UkraineFriends.org sources, transports, and delivers humanitarian aid to cities under direct attack by Russian forces. The organization, in partnership with Operation White Stork, has specialized in delivering essential medical emergency packs to those on the front lines, as well as providing refuge to thousands fleeing the conflict.

In late February, Airbnb.org announced that it would offer free, short-term housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine. Airbnb.org allows Hosts on Airbnb - as well as those who have never hosted before but want to step up in times of crisis - to provide free and discounted stays to people impacted by emergencies, as an alternative to other shelter options.

Through this collaboration with Airbnb.org, UkraineFriends.org has evacuated more than 20,000 civilians and has connected more than 10,000 individuals with housing vouchers, with plans to help thousands more.

'We're so grateful for Airbnb.org's commitment to humanitarian efforts supporting the Ukrainian people during this illegal and immoral invasion,' said Michael Sinensky, Co-Founder of UkraineFriends.org. 'Our organization, through collaboration with numerous partners, has specialized in getting desperately needed trauma kits into the hands of Ukrainians, which increase survival rates by
50%. Now with Airbnb.org's support, we will be able to rapidly expand our evacuation capabilities.'

'Our work with Michael dates back to 2012, when we partnered with Friends of Rockaway to respond to the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in New York City. That marked the beginning of Airbnb and Airbnb.org's near decade-long mission to provide temporary housing to those in crisis - including more than 70,000 refugees - which continues today, as we collaborate with organizations around the world to help refugees fleeing Ukraine. We are proud to support Ukrainefriends.org's inspiring efforts to assist evacuees across the region,' said Joe Gebbia, Chairman of Airbnb.org and Airbnb co-founder.

About UkraineFriends.org

UkraineFriends.org maintains established partnerships with Operation White Stork, KOACORE, WeShield, Chabad, Jesuit University, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and Friends of Rockaway, among others, and was established as a collective humanitarian response to the invasion of Ukraine. Leveraging the expertise and extensive networks of the group's founders, the organization is a collective of people from varied backgrounds who have chosen to stand together to ensure the rapid response of humanitarian aid to many of the most vulnerable people of this country.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. The program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

CONTACT:

Daniel Smiertka
ukrainefriends@5wpr.com
(713) 557-8540

SOURCE: WeShield