TAMPA, Fla — In an effort to bring more beauty to the world, the folks at Course of Action have been lending a hand to the greater Tampa Bay community, and beyond, for years.
And now in the face of an invasion in Ukraine, the nonprofit has set its sights on Eastern Europe.
Their goal right now is to collect and ship donations to people that need them.
The Course of Action Founder, EJ Otero, tells ABC Action News says there are a few big needs.
"Items of hygiene, first aid," he said.
You can find a full list of the items they're collecting and how to pack them, here.
The group is also partnering with Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Petersburg to gather those items.
"Help us, help others," said Otero.
That donation drive starts tomorrow. They'll be collecting items every Saturday, Wednesday, and Friday between March 5 and March 25.
But the church wanted us to understand the need tonight.
So a member connected us with a woman named Angelina Lazebna, who is currently in Ukraine.
She says she's safe, on the western side of the country, for now. But many of her loved ones are not.
"We have cities that are under attack every night and every day," she said.
It's a dire situation, that's left Lazebna and her family checking for the sounds of war on a daily basis.
"The only question that I have to my mom and dad and grandparents is 'is it silent today?'" she said.
