December 26, 1998
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On January 27 a group of 27 of us are going to Khust, Ukraine on a humanitarian project. Victor and Beverly Kubik will leave January 24th to make sure that all is ready for the remainder of the group to get to work immediately on their arrival. While there, we have made arrangements to be connected to the Internet and will offer updates on this site which will include audio and photos.
We will work in four cities and villages in the Transcarpathian oblast: Khust, Rokosovo, Uglya and Lipovets.
Our host organization is the Sabbatarian community and Mission Nazareth in Khust. It includes their doctors, dentists, optometrists, and auxillary. This area is in dire straits--recent flooding has left many homeless. People are living in tents in the mountains and the snow is waist-high in the region. Bridges from Khust over the Rika and Tissa Rivers have been washed away. Because of the natural disaster occurring just before our arrival the Ukrainian Embassy will be issuing our visas free of charge.
Our optometrists will be taking 5000 pairs of eye glasses along...they plan to fit at least 750 pensioners and poor with appropriate prescriptions. The glasses not fitted will be left in Khust. All the optemetric work will be done in Khust. Most of these people have never owned a pair of glasses in their life.
The medical doctors are taking about $30,000 worth of medications along. We are getting that thru MAP International- the largest distributor of donated meds in the US. We pay handling fees only.
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The dentists will be doing free dental work--partly in the clinic in Khust that was set up there after a request was made by Vic Kubik. Dental work will be done in some outlying areas as well.
One of the oranizers of this trip is Dr. Bob Silverman of Cleona, Pennsylvania. He is a verteran of many such missions. The Johns' and Kubik's had lunch with him on November 20 in Pennsylvania to discuss some of the logistics of this mission.
Also, we are working with the Florida chapter of VOSH, a group of volunteer optometrists who travel to diverse parts of the world on such missions. John Gehrig of Orlando, Florida is organizing the optometric part of our mission.
The cost of each persons travel is being paid by themselves. They are also taking vacation time to do this. Donations are covering the cost of meds and shipment of supplies as we cannot carry everything with us.
I personally hope this will be the first of many such trips to areas of need, which can use a helping hand. And if there are those out there who are interested in joining future trips to get in touch--we can use all the help we can get...especially professionals...but also others to be go-fers and to help and assist the professionals. Unfortunately, at this time only those with time and finances to allow this can be used.
Here's the final cast of those going:
1. John Gehrig--Optometric Aide
2. Carla Gehrig--Optometric Aide
3. J.R. Gehrig--Optometric Aide
4. Coi Gehrig--Optometric Aide
5. Andrew Duddy--Optometric Aide
6. Victoria Duddy--Optometric Aide
7. Jaime Marinkovich--Rehabilitationist (Low Vision)
8. James Tri--Optometrist
9. Joe Crosby--Optometrist
10. Robert Barr--Optometrist
11. Jowan Do--Optometrist
12. Stanley Sagara--VOSH
13. Robert Silverman--Dentist
14. David McCreary--Dentist
15. Edward Mazer--Dentist
16. Donald Santry--Oral Surgeon
17. Ruthann Santry--RN & NP
18. John Merritt--Medical Doctor
19. Lawrence Merritt--Medical Doctor
20. Tammy Merritt--Auxillary
21. Sue Johns--Dental Assistant
22. George August
23. Beverly August
24. Victor Kubik
25. Beverly Kubik
26. Amy Allwine
27. Galina Shtefanio
Sue Johns sljjwj2@aol.com
Victor Kubik vic@kubik.org