In late February when I covered a story about the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, I had no idea it would be the first domino in a long line that led me to hop on a plane in Colorado and follow American aid to Kharkiv. And I certainly didn't expect to experience such a poignant reminder of what democratic values look like in action--a stark contrast to those I see in the U.S.

Last year, somewhere on the Donbas front of the war in Ukraine, Andriy Karpachenko, a soldier in Unit A2424, applied pressure to an Israeli bandage pressed to the bloody hip wound of his fellow soldier. While on combat duty, the men came under fire and Karpachenko’s companion was shot. Thankfully, because Karpachenko had the right equipment and acted quickly, he saved his unit member's life.

The time and effort required to get donated aid from Colorado to soldiers on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine sounds Herculean, but the volunteers who make Sunflower Seeds Ukraine’s (SFSU) mission possible manage it while holding full-time jobs, raising children, and supporting friends and family through a difficult time.

While aid shipments from Sunflower Seeds Ukraine (SFSU), the military-focused initiative of the non-profit Ukrainians of Colorado, reach soldiers up and down the front lines of the war in Ukraine, the end of the proverbial road for September’s shipment was Kharkiv.