Convoy of Hope assisting Ukrainian refugees

Convoy of Hope is responding to the invasion in Ukraine with plans to serve refugees.

Ethan Forhetz, the Springfield-based nonprofit's national spokesperson, said its team is en route today to Poland, Moldova and other border countries as hundreds of thousands of refugees reportedly are fleeing Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, which began Feb. 24.

Convoy of Hope is assisting work in the areas to provide food, water and hygiene items, according to a news release. One example is a church the nonprofit is working with in Moldova, where refugees are stopping to rest, Forhetz said.

"It is housing refugees as they move through the area," he said via email. "They stop and rest for a few hours, eat, get coffee and keep going on their journey. At most, they stay there for three days before moving on."

Convoy of Hope provided a western Ukraine resident’s experience to illustrate the situation.

“It’s bad. I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” said Ukrainian Allina Robie, according to the release. “It is a mess. There are more people moving this direction than we have room for at the moment.”