Irina Moss is doing her part for Ukraine as best she can from Southwest Louisiana. The Lake Charles resident has been in almost daily contact with Ukraine family and friends. Lately, she is raising awareness of what’s happening there, and about Trinity Baptist Church’s fundraising efforts to help fighting civilians and sheltered refugees.

Most of Moss’ family members lived in Zaporizhzhia, where Russia seized the nuclear power plant. According to Ukraine’s president, it is the first time in the history of mankind that a country has ever fired on nuclear power units — an action that could end Europe.

“That happened about an hour and a half from my family’s home,” Moss said.

All of her family were together at the time — her parents, her sister’s family that includes 6-year-old triplets, two grandmothers who lived through World War II, an aunt, uncle and cousins.

“It was an intimidation technique, which unfortunately worked,” Moss said, “Although I do agree that women with children should seek refuge, I am in support of those who stay and fight. My sister’s family and my mom made the decision to drive to Poland the next day.”

Moss’ dad, whose job in times of peace is working with the school board, said he was not going anywhere.

“Right now he runs one of the three shifts of a shelter,” she said. “Six hundred civilians have volunteered. Six or seven such centers are in operation in the city.”

Her grandmothers also refused to leave — like a lot of people who have always lived there, according to Moss. Zaporizhzhya has a population of around 1.2 million. It is the fifth largest city in Ukraine, she said.

“In my home town right now, the biggest need is medicine,” Moss said.

Two hospitals are operational. One handles the wounded and another specializes in the treatment of burn victims.

“This center where my father is, they have so much stuff going on,” Moss said. “It’s where they make the bullet proof vests from heavy truck springs, weld multi-pronged steel barricades and are creating a type of hiding net for women and children. One defense group patrols the city overnight and erases actual target markings placed there by Russians.”

She called the war “unprovoked.”

“And to be honest, this is not the first time Russia has done something like this.”

She said during Holodomor, which literally means death by hunger, 3.9 million Ukrainians lost their lives in 1933. Russia has also ordered Ukraines to give up their language and speak only Russian.

“I think Ukraine feels like what you would call a red-headed stepchild,” she said. “That’s what Ukraine has always been, oppressed by Russia. That’s why they are so tied together, so united in this fight right now.”

She said Trinity Baptist Church began an active part in the campaign after she and other women from Ukraine, Victoria Thompson, Elena Kirkland and Alina Barnett started purchasing medical supplies, mostly over-the-counter items.

“Even though we were only buying those things we could get in local stores, it soon became a significant expense,” she said.

An orthopedic surgeon gave $10,000, and they have had help from a Rotary Club and a local church, in addition to Trinity.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped so far,” she said.

Far from sounding worried about her family’s plight, Moss’ voice was full of pride when she talked about how the Ukrainian people have banded together to fight.

“They all call each other warriors,” she said. “You don’t have to have a machine gun to be a warrior, Ukraine has warrior seamstresses, welders and cooks.”