MERIAIN, Idaho — Soldiers on the battlefield need more than just ammunition. In some cases, injured soldiers die because medics are unable to reach them or they just don't have enough supplies to help.
Type of Wood, a grassroots Idaho humanitarian group, is trying to help Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russia. Founder Rob Sturgill says the need for tourniquets in Ukraine is high.
"Unfortunately one of the greatest things that is needed, that's requested, is tourniquets. Don, it's a big problem, I can get on for hours. I can tell you stories that are hard even to fathom," says Sturgill.
Sturgill started this non-profit when he was helping in the Philippines after the area was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. He named the group "Type of Wood Charities" after experiencing building difficulties using coconut wood to rebuild, being told by a fellow volunteer his troubles were because of the 'type of wood' he was using. The name stuck, and the group's humanitarian efforts have helped people in need worldwide.
The trip will mark Sturgill's fourth to Ukraine, a country Leo Martsinyuk knows very well. Martsinyuk was young when his homeland was part of the old Soviet Union, and is now a Deacon at the Full Gospel Slavic Church in Meridian.
"When Soviets came in they told my parents you cannot take your kid to work. You can go to church, but your kids stay home because we don't want your kids to know anything about Jesus," explains Marsinyuk.
Marsinyuk's faith has gotten him through a lot, and now he joins Sturgill in the commitment to help the Ukranian cause any way he can, including helping to assemble tourniquets.
"There was bombing overnight and three soldiers were saved because we sent this stuff from the U.S. That's how any person from here, [for] $23-$28, has a chance to save lives. What I cherish in America, every Ukrainian cherishes in Ukraine, it's the freedom that's the number one. And that is what Ukrainians are fighting for right now," says Marsinyuk.
And it's not just tourniquets. Sturgill says his group will deliver whatever is needed, "Bleed stop kits, first aid kits, and other medicine and medical supplies that will actually go with us and be delivered to the front lines."
If you would like to help or learn more about their effort to support freedom in Ukraine go to the Type of Wood Charities Facebook page.
