Bethenny Frankel, entrepreneur and founder of Bstrong, is sending $10 million worth of aid to Ukraine through her disaster relief organization. According to the New York Post, Bstrong is using the funds to send aid in the form of survival kits, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, generators, nonperishables, water, and is organizing as well as funding travel for refugees to get them to a safe place. Frankel recently reported an update that the Bstrong team is in Poland along the border of Ukraine where they have ten tents set up to serve specific needs including those for hygiene, babies, and travel. They also are securing a warehouse where they will be able to stock supplies to distribute to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Bstrong is focusing their efforts on assisting women and children who fled Ukraine while their male relatives ages 18-65 stayed behind to defend their country.
Bstrong has received extraordinary support and is increasing their goal of getting $10 million of aid to Ukraine to $20 million of aid, according to their website. They have partnered with a travel company to assist the refugees and are trying to find places for them to stay across Europe as hotels in Poland are fully booked. According to the New York Post, the Bstrong team is working with the Polish government and has computers to organize their effort. They are trying to prevent a backlog at entry points by moving refugees to where they need to go.
Since their launch in 2017, Bstrong has been organizing effective relief aid for people suffering from disasters worldwide. The organization is partnered with the Global Empowerment Mission and 100% of funds go directly to the distribution of supplies, sending rescue teams, and distributing gift cards to people in disaster-struck areas. In addition to supporting Ukraine, Bstrong has also most recently provided emergency aid to Kentucky after deadly tornadoes devastated the area, and to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Ida hit in 2021.
With expertly organized efforts focused heavily on assisting Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees amid Russia’s violent invasion, Bstrong is providing relief to families who have found themselves quickly displaced and in need of help to survive. According to Bstrong, their “mandate is getting refugees out and aid into Ukraine.” With compassionate support, Frankel and her team at Bstrong are giving Ukrainian refugees hope and a shoulder to lean on as they deal with uncertainty and the tragedy that has hit their homeland.