“Warm Hands and Paws” campaign is launched in La Crosse to help families, pets in Ukraine

The Midwest is about halfway through the winter now, but the season will last a bit longer in other parts of the world.

In Ukraine, for example, winter could go on another two or three months, and the country is still at war with Russia.

A La Crosse area resident has organized a drive to help Ukrainians and their pets endure the winter. It’s called “Warm Hands and Paws for Ukraine.”

Sue Schultz said the items to be sent to Ukraine are easy enough to find.

“Hand warmers and foot warmers,” Schultz said. “They’re not very expensive, and then cat and dog food.”

Schultz added that Kwik Trip stores will accept the donated items. A group called Chalice of Mercy will ship those items overseas.

Seeing news reports about the fighting in Ukraine and the families living there, got Schultz’s attention.

“They didn’t have any heat, they had to go to tents to charge their phones and then warm up and go back to a cold dwelling,” Schultz said. “I thought, how awful. What if that was me? What if that was my family and my friends?”

Schultz announced plans for the campaign this week at the annual Iverson-Freking Award luncheon in La Crosse, where she and her husband Marc were among the 2023 honorees for their community service.