One Box: Connecting donors with victims of war and natural disasters, One Box at a time. It is people helping people at the most fundamental level, regardless of respective governments, policies, and politics.
Byelich at a clothing collection event sponsored by the Rogers City Farm Market. Sept. 2022One Box currently has contacts in 41 locations/facilities across Ukraine where aid is sent. This includes churches, orphanages, community centers in villages, hospitals, hospice centers, schools, refugee shelters for internally displaced people (IDP’s), and rehabilitation centers for injured soldiers. Personal missions are especially meaningful for meeting the people, seeing their needs, spending time with them, sharing hugs and smiles, and taking additional aid to them. Byelich says it is especially powerful when the people squeeze your arm or touch your cheek as if to see if you are real!
All of this happens because of YOUR support, care, and generosity, along with the help of many colleagues in Poland and Ukraine.
All monetary donations are used for shipping or to purchase needed items. No contributions are used for travel or any other administrative expenses.
One Box is a recognized 501(c)3 charitable organization that provides humanitarian aid to people displaced by war, and other disasters, one box at a time. It connects donors with those in need. Founder Boyd Byelich initially volunteered at a center for Ukrainian refugees in Krakow, Poland, in April of 2022. Byelich, a beef cattle farmer from northeast Michigan, had recently improved from long-term health issues and had felt a ‘calling’ to help the people of Ukraine.
Upon returning home from that first trip to Poland, he started a group called One Box for Ukraine. He was aware that many people in his area wanted to help, but that they were looking for a vetted, personalized connection. One Box was established to provide that connection. It provided a direct link between donors in the USA and Ukrainian refugees in Krakow, whereby people could donate a box of clothing and $50 for shipping, and this aid would be in the hands of the refugees in 2 weeks! Over the course of the next few months, more than 150 boxes and 6,000 items of clothing were sent to the center in Krakow.
Since December of 2022, 95% of all aid is shipped directly to final destinations or distribution points in Ukraine. More than 22,000 items of donated clothing, plus many boxes of medical and school supplies, hygiene products, and toys have now been sent. Byelich also works with a coalition of like-minded individuals and groups in Poland and has made 13 trips to Ukraine to personally deliver aid, coordinate with distribution points, and identify new opportunities to assist.
Locations around Ukraine where Byelich and colleagues have delivered aid and spent time with the people on his 13 trips into the country.