Craig Burns spends his days as an attorney at Marshall Melhorn, helping businesses and nonprofits resolve their many legal issues. This past year though, he also took up the task of starting a charity. Craig’s wife, Tatyana, grew up in Ukraine, so shortly after the war broke out, Craig and his family took action to help. “We saw photos of devastated homes and refugees, we felt called to help the children, so we started forming the charity,” said Burns.
The charity they formed is called America Cares for Ukrainian Children (“AC4UC”). This is truly a family endeavor, as Craig serves as the treasurer, his wife Tatyana is the president, and his sister-in-law Olha in Ukraine is the volunteer in-country manager. AC4UC has no paid staff, and all efforts are done by the volunteer board and local Ukrainian volunteer residents.
As a grassroots organization, AC4UC works to mobilize ordinary Americans to help Ukrainian children. “Our organization will never have the reach of the large international organizations, so we’re trying to fill the gaps between their programs,” explained Burns. “We generally purchase goods in Uzhhorod because we can stretch our dollars farther, avoid the cost and delay of shipping, be responsive to local needs, and support struggling local businesses. We know where every dollar goes.”
When asked why he felt moved by this cause, Burns explained, “we needed to do something tangible to help the children affected by the war. We had a unique opportunity, because our Ukrainian family is in Uzhhorod, which is one of the safest areas in Ukraine. Uzhhorod is overflowing with refugees, nearly all women and children who were forced to leave their homes but were reluctant to leave their motherland. We have been focused on providing direct aid in and around Uzhhorod to children affected by the war. Some are refugees, some are orphans, some are children whose fathers have been on the front for months; many fit multiple categories. Whatever anyone’s views on geopolitics, those children are innocent, so we’re trying to make this war a little less horrible for them.”
If you would like to learn more about AC4UC and Craig’s efforts, you can visit their page at AC4UC.org.
This article was originally published in the December 2022 issue of the TBA news, Vol. 70, No. 4.
