Local volunteers describe delivery of medical supplies and relief work in Ukraine

Marita, a volunteer with Hands On Global who lives in Murphys, Calif., told a Calaveras County audience that she and other local volunteers travelled into Ukraine to deliver medical supplies and help with local relief efforts.

The trip combined deliveries — volunteers said they brought 15 labeled suitcases of medical supplies — with on-the-ground work: packing and distributing donations, helping at a hospital, weaving camouflage netting and assisting at a community farm. "I always knew where a pharmacy was," Marita said, describing how small signals like green pharmacy crosses helped volunteers navigate towns and reach people in need.

Why it matters: Volunteers said their work filled gaps where local health systems and charities were short on equipment. In one hospital, surgeons opened donated suitcases and highlighted continuing needs. A surgeon who identified himself as Vitaly told volunteers in English that "tourniquets save lives," underscoring…