As Russian troops continue their attack on Ukraine, people worldwide are looking for ways to help civilians seeking shelter and safety. Many companies and individuals — from nonprofit organizations and regular citizens to chefs and celebrities — have participated in humanitarian efforts around the world.
One celebrity couple has deeply personal reasons for starting a fundraising campaign. Mila Kunis, known for starring opposite her husband Ashton Kutcher on “That ’70s Show,” was born in Ukraine in 1983. She came to the United States in 1991 with her family: parents Elvira (a physics teacher) and Mark (a mechanical engineer), plus older brother Michael.
In a video posted to their social media accounts, the couple discussed their goal of sending relief to the people of Ukraine.
“I’ve always considered myself an American, a proud American,” Kunis said in the video, shown below. “I love everything that this country has done for myself and my family. But today, I have never been more proud to be a Ukrainian.”
“And I’ve never been more proud to be married to a Ukrainian,” Kutcher added.
“The events that have unfolded in Ukraine are devastating. There is no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity,” Kunis continued.
Kutcher explained that the couple is working to raise funds to support refugee and humanitarian aid efforts in the war-torn country.
“The principal challenge right now is logistics. We need to get housing, and we need to get supplies and resources into the area,” the actor shared in the video.
Kunis explained that the couple would match up to $3 million in donations to the nonprofit aid organizations associated with lodging company Airbnb and freight forwarder Flexport through GoFundMe, with a goal of raising $30 million.
Flexport.org will transport everyday supplies directly to known NGOs (nonprofit, non-governmental organizations) for distribution on the ground, and Airbnb.org will leverage the resources of Airbnb’s host community to house up to 100,000 refugees.
“The people of Ukraine are strong and brave,” Kunis expressed, “but being strong and brave doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of support. We need to support the people of Ukraine. Please help us.”
The GoFundMe page, which you can access here, has raised more than $16 million so far. On March 5, the couple posted a new video thanking supporters for getting them halfway to the goal, and included representatives from Airbnb and GoFundMe to briefly explain their commitment to the area.
In the video update, Kutcher ended with this statement: “There are some problems in the world it takes a village to solve, and there are other problems that take the rest of the world. This is one of those other problems.”
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
