DES MOINES, Iowa — With the war and devastation happening in Ukraine, it can be hard to know how to help a country so far away from your own backyard.
Iowans are not letting distance stop efforts to help Ukrainians.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, area police departments and other Iowans are all coming together to help the people of Ukraine.
Iowa will be donating 146 protective helmets and 714 ballistic vests to the country, according to the governor's office. Those protective items come from a handful of police departments within the metro plus the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
"Iowans from across the state have expressed their solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine as they courageously defend their country and fight for their freedom. Our donation of helmets and vests is one small way we can show that Iowa stands with them," Reynolds said in a statement.
The Windsor Heights Police Department is among the 19 Iowa-based law enforcement departments that have teamed up with Reynolds to send protective gear to Ukraine.
"There was a statewide effort to gain some of these items to send to Ukraine to help with the fighting over there. And several agencies across the state have been involved in that," Windsor Heights Police Chief Chad McCluskey said. "We're just honored and privileged to be able to help with that. And we donated 14, expired ballistic vests to the effort."
The governor's office and Iowa's law enforcement are not the only ones extending their resources to Ukraine. Jacob Hawkins, a Mason City native, is pairing up with people across the state to send supplies for his father-in-law who lives in Ukraine to pass out to locals in villages outside of the country's city limits
"There's just going to be a lot of things that people are going to need over there come the next couple months. And so just kind of a way for us to really use some of the things that that maybe we don't need around here anymore ... or I know a lot of people have been going out and buying new stuff even. And that's been amazing as well," Hawkins said.
What started as a plan with his family in his Mason City church has spread rapidly across the state. Hawkins believes it's because Iowans are special people who are always willing to lend their hearts and hands whenever it's needed
"Iowans have always been the kind of people that are just, you know, we see a problem, we see something that needs to be fixed ... and we're always willing to step up and help," he said.
Hawkins and his father-in-law have compiled a list with the help of Ukraine natives. They need just about everything: from clothes, children's essentials and medical equipment.
They also need tools and construction equipment to help repair what's been lost.
If you are looking to join these Iowans and help out Ukraine, there is a GoFundMe to help with the shipping.
You can also drop off items in Ankeny at Dean Snyder Construction (5151 SE Rio Ct) Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Monday from 5 to 8:30 a.m.