'My Goal Is To Save Lives First': Locals Make Tremendous Humanitarian Efforts; Change Way Of Life To Support Ukraine

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — As the War in Ukraine reaches its second week, with Ukrainians finding their lives threatened on a daily basis, locals across Southern California have put forth a tremendous humanitarian effort to support the suddenly war-torn country - Eastern European roots or not.

The war has caught the attention of nearly every person across the globe, and national leaders have all been under the public eye, especially the United States and countries in NATO whom many are calling to take action and close the airspace over Ukraine. Russian leaders, specifically President Vladimir Putin, have denounced nearly every sanction and effort to end the fighting, even going as far as to mention that the sanctions made against him and the country of Russia are "akin to declaring war."

Despite all of this, and the looming fear sitting in the back of many's minds, Angelenos have banded together in many forms, from protests and prayer, to gathering supplies and donations to aid the ongoing humanitarian and military efforts in Ukraine.

Thousands of people across the Southland have rallied and protested over recent weeks to "Stand With Ukraine," normally meeting in front of Los Angeles County monuments or prominent figure's offices, like Senator Dianne Feinstein, in hopes of making their cause known and catching the attention of someone who will finally put things in motion to stop the fighting.

Sunday saw hundreds of locals converge upon the Ukrainian Culture Center, where they not only worked to package 5,000 first aid kits to send in support of any man, woman, child or animal that may get injured in the continuous shelling and assault from Russian forces, but raised over $20 thousand to send to Ukraine for support.

Just about four miles away at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church, other activists met to take donations and put together shipments to send to Ukraine. They've done this every day since the fighting began, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at midnight.

Desperate to lend a helping hand in any way they can, many Ukrainian natives who now call Los Angeles home have worked together to send whatever support they can to their homeland. Boxes, bags and incredible amounts of  provisions could be seen stacked high, from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall in one of the church's biggest rooms, as workers sifted through to put together shipments of medical supplies and other necessities.

Those medical supplies - like tape, gauze, ointments, sanitizers and first aid kits - were all put together to send directly to the front lines of the conflict on Ukraine's borders.

RELATED: Local Volunteers, Protestors Raise $20K In Continued Support For Ukraine Sunday

Nick Zaiets boarded an AirFrance flight Sunday with everything he could carry as he headed to Ukraine.

Originally from Ukraine, Zaiets' flight departed from LAX just after 9 p.m. He's headed to Paris for a connection to Warsaw in Poland, where he will deliver the gathered supplies.

Now a Los Angeles local, he turned his moving company into a humanitarian aid station in less than a week's time in an effort to provide help to his birthplace. He showed CBS reporters around his business on Sunday, pointing out over a thousand boxes of supplies ready to be shipped, both in his warehouse and in moving trucks, noting that the contents included pillows, blankets and other necessities like diapers and tourniquets.

Zaiets is a member of the Ukrainian United Association, a nonprofit humanitarian aid volunteer organization that collects products and funds to supply to refugees.

He's also partnered up with Anthony Jennings, who heads Mission Bridge Inc. a fellow nonprofit traditionally "committed to helping young people become the best versions of themselves. Our goal is for young people to experience the unconditional love of Jesus, discover their unique gifts, and develop strong character," as noted on their website. In light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, they've banded together to provide resources and support to the frontlines, much like Zaiets.

Together, the duo took off for Eastern Europe to lend assistance however they could.

Jennings wanted to make sure "that people have a trusted 'boots on the ground' understanding of what's needed at the supply lines, so that we're taking refugees from Ukraine back into Poland, while simultaneously bringing the right level of supplies."

Combined, the two men took about five suitcases each - completely filled with medical supplies.

"We want to get stuff ASAP to people who need," said Zaiets. "There's a lot of people collecting stuff, but they get to the warehouse and nothing gets there (Ukraine)."

A logistics expert, he said that his warehouse is one of the many locations filled to the brim with supplies, ready to head across the world whenever possible. Unfortunately, shipping those items is a huge issue, as transportation via ship would take at least two months and private aircrafts cost upwards of six figures.

They plan to buy three trucks as soon as they get to Poland. First, to bring supplies to the border, and then to transport refugees away from the war zone and into Warsaw. It's the first of many planned trips, where they'll return home and gather donations in the meantime, before returning with the same goal in mind - for however long it takes.

"My goal is, somehow, to save lives first, and if we can, just rebuild the whole country," said Zaeits. "That's if I would say that every city could get to at least normal - a normal situation like it was before the war - and of course if it will get better, then that would be the best thing, potentially, I could have done in my life."

Doctor Svetlana Pilyugina, another Ukrainian native who now calls Los Angeles home, has also joined the support effort, collecting over 30 pallets of supplies to ship back to her homeland. Astonishingly, she was able to collect all of these supplies - both medical and military, including baby items and clothing - in just 48 hours.

Pilyugina's clients and other locals donated the items to her eye clinics, as well as other donation centers, where they will now be shipped out on Tuesday via a Meest Cargo plane, heading to Europe.

"I've been on those streets, I've walked those streets," she said, holding back tears. "Now, to see them in the state that they are - it's heartbreaking."

Her parents still live in Ukraine, adding to the motivation behind her cause, which she calls "Nadiya" or "Hope" in Ukrainian.

"I go from completely being in tears everyday when I turn on television, when I speak to my parents about this," Pilyugina continued,  "then I pull myself together and keep going"

Her resilience in the face of the conflict is an embodiment of the Ukrainian people, who refuse to back down in the face of the Russian invasion.

Locals looking to provide additional supplies or donations to Zaiets' or Pilyugina's causes can visit either of the listed links to their humanitarian efforts as they work to aid Ukrainian refugees suffering from the ongoing fighting:

• Ukraine United Association (Zaiets) or,
• Help Dr. P with Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine! (Pilyugina)