Alyssa Gillespie of Brunswick, a professor and scholar of Russian literature and culture, hosting fundraisers to aid refugees in Ukraine.“After that conversation with my friend, I knew that I had to do something to try to help Ukrainians who are experiencing such utter devastation in even the tiniest way,” she said.
To help aid Ukraine, Gillespie has teamed up with the Director of Bowdoinham Public Library Kate Cutko and Bowdoin College Librarian Melissa Orth for the fundraiser Pysanky for Peace on April 21.
When the Pain Becomes a Part of You
“Nova Ukraine's new Vector of Resilience joint pilot project helps Ukraine's veteran support specialists address burnout and secondary traumatic stress.” The program's first residential trainings, launched by Nova Ukraine and its partners, were recently held in Ukraine's Volyn Oblast. Mariia, a support specialist, almost didn't attend. Leaving the veterans and families she supported for three days filled her with guilt she couldn't shake. She worried about how they would manage without her. But when she found herself among psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals, and community specialists who shared the same responsibilities, something changed.