PARMA, Ohio — Last month, 3News spoke to Anastasiya Koval as she packed up donations to take over to her family's home country of Ukraine.
She documented her journey, sharing photos and videos of the trip as well as her first-hand account of the destruction.
"You're looking at it and you're like war happened here, there was people that died right here for this land, for our country, present day this isn't history," Koval said.
Thousands of miles away from Northeast Ohio, she met her dad who has spent the last 10 months assisting on the ground since the war broke out. She joined him and met various battalion groups to pass out donations to soldiers on the front lines.
"You see the areas that were bombed, they're already boarded up and cleaned up in certain parts of the city. People are persevering," Koval said.
The trip motivated Koval to find new ways to help even more. She's hopeful that she can encourage more Northeast Ohioans to join the fight.
"It's about being human and helping people who are forced into a position to fight for their homes who don't have the essentials to keep themselves warm," Koval said.
As the war wages on with no end in sight, the impact is being felt by Ukrainians all across the world, including right here in Cleveland.
"These people are fighting for our right to call ourselves Ukrainian," Koval said.
To make a donation, click here
Click here to learn more about the nonprofit organization assisting Ukraine.