'Hope, belief and gratitude': Suburban teen ships 8,000 books to Ukrainian refugees
Thousands of books heading to Ukrainian refugee children were given a hopeful send-off Sunday at Kumon Math and Reading Center in Rolling Meadows.
It was a textbook example of volunteerism, as the 8,000 books worth more than $100,000 were gathered as a result of the efforts of Mission: MathMinds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring girls to achieve in STEM fields.
It was founded three years ago by Ruby Arun, a 16-year-old William Fremd High School student from Inverness, and has since mobilized more than 300 student volunteers.
The books will find their way to refugee camps, thanks to Libraries Without Borders, as well as schools founded by Ukrainian educators displaced by the war. Ruby visited some of those educators during a trip to Poland last year.
"This mission is more than just collecting books. We're bringing hope, creating new opportunities for these students," Ruby said Sunday.
Partners in the book drive included several regional YMCAs, the Schaumburg Township Public Library District, Friends of the Palatine Library, the Palatine Public Library District, Palatine Township Elementary School District 15, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, the Palatine Jaycees and the Rotary Club of Palatine. Polamer Precision Inc. of Schaumburg shipped the books.
Among those taking part Sunday were Ukrainians displaced by the war, including Yuliya Matiychyk, who left her home in Chernivci and is now living in Hoffman Estates with her two sons, Yarema and Danylo.
She expressed gratitude for the efforts of the volunteers, calling the books an investment "in our development, in our future. Our kids are our future."
"I hope that this war will be stopped as soon as possible," she added.
Matiychyk was joined by her mother, Mariia Shevchuk, who will be returning to Ukraine, where she works as a doctor.
Arun also was joined remotely by Natalia Yakovchuk, whom she met in Poland last year and lives in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Yakovchuk talked about the impact of the bombing and shelling by Russian forces.
"We were basically living in basements all of the time," she said. "We went out only to get some food and have a shower. The basements were the only safe space at the time."
Taking photos at the event was Kristina Kost, who left her home in Lviv at the start of the Russian invasion and drove 36 hours to Poland with her daughter, her friend, her friend's family, a cat and a dog. Now she is staying with her daughter, Olesea, in Lake in the Hills.
"My heart is still in Ukraine," Kost said.
State Reps. Nabeela Syed of Inverness and Mark Walker of Arlington Heights also were present at the event.
"The future is great, when we have young people at the helm, changing the future," Syed said.
U.S. congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined virtually and led the crowd in a math problem.
"If you send 8,000 textbooks, worth $100,000, 5,000 miles across the Atlantic to students in need, what is the outcome?" he asked. "This is the answer: Hope, belief and gratitude."