An award-winning Christian band raised over $150,000 for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
The four-time Grammy Award winning band For King & Country held a special online concert last week that would benefit the refugees and victims of the war-stricken Ukraine. The band held the concert in the Mojave Desert in California and featured material from their new album titled "What Are We Waiting For?"
According to the Christian Headlines, the special performance was streamed across several platforms including Facebook and YouTube and raised more than $150,000, which will go to Convoy of Home, a faith-based nonprofit organization pursuing humanitarian efforts to help Ukrainian refugees.
"When people are in need, you help," For King & Country's Luke Smallbone recalled his father's words. He told "Fox & Friends," "We've all been brokenhearted by what's been taking place over in Ukraine."
"Everybody can play a part, everybody can do something," Smallbone said. "And for us, this is our way to hopefully help people that are being displaced, that are going through incredibly difficult things."
Joel Smallbone admitted that as a band, For King & Country was hestitant to set a goal and thought that they could "maybe" raise %50,000. Joel said, "So for our supporters to show up with 150 grand and counting is just incredible."
The more than $150,000 raised by For King & Country for Convoy of Hope will be used by the organization to provide food, water, shelter, hygiene kits, and other necessities to Ukrainian refugees who have fled to different countries. President and founder of Convoy of Hope Hal Donaldson expressed that the organization is "incredibly blessed by this partnership" with the award-winning band.
"I truly appreciate Joel and Luke's hearts for the work that Convoy of Hope does and their desire to relieve the suffering of Ukrainians," Donaldson said. "The money they have helped, and continue to help raise, will bring much-needed relief to people inside Ukraine and refugees in the countries surrounding it."
Ukrainian refugees are continuing to pour into countries that are welcoming them, including Poland, Romania, and other neighboring nations to Ukraine. According to The Guardian, the United Kingdom is also mobilizing to accept refugees from the war-stricken nation. Across England, welcome hubs are being set up at airports, train stations, and ports.
Almost £2 million or $2.6 million has been spent on building 31 hubs across 27 local authorities, the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities reported. Hubs have already been established at airports in Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, and at St Pancras International train station in London. These refugee centers will provide food, clothing, and hygiene products to Ukrainian refugees and serve as a space for matched families to meet each other and assist Ukrainians in traveling towards their accommodations.
England's move comes amidst criticism that there had been slow progress in responding to the Ukrainian refugee crisis brought about by Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February. Since the beginning of March, the UK has granted 25,500 visas to Ukrainian refugees. Up to 22,800 have been issued to Ukrainian refugees who are seeking to join relatives in the UK under the Ukraine Family scheme. To date, over four million Ukrainians have fled the country and up to 6.5 million have been displaced within the war-stricken nation.
