TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Twin Falls resident Rob Sturgill has made five trips to Ukraine since the Russian invasion almost two years ago. This month, Sturgill and others were joined by Ukranian brothers Ivan and Paul Silkovskyi on a tour of the U. S. visiting communities, including Southern Idaho that have made an impact with donations of aid.
- Sturgill's Type of Wood organization organizes humanitarian aid for refugees, and for the past two years has focused on Ukraine, where they have coordinated with numerous groups to bring food and supplies from Idaho to eastern Europe.
- On Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, the Idaho Humanitarian Aid organization held a presentation at Stone House in Twin Falls to give an update on their aid efforts, and to give Ukranian brothers Ivan and Paul Silkovskyi a chance to share stories and give thanks.
- The group also held an event in Meridian at the Slavic Full Gospel Church on Saturday, Feb. 3.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Although a world away, a Magic Valley man is making a difference in Ukraine.
Rob Sturgill is back in Idaho, for now, and he brought some guests.
We last spoke with Rob in December, when he had just returned from his fifth trip to Ukraine.
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This week, he's with brothers Ivan and Paul Silkovskyi, stopping in Twin Falls as part of a U.S. tour to visit communities that have contributed humanitarian aid to help feed and supply the Ukrainian people.
“We came here with my brother to say thank you for our partners,” Silkovskyi told Idaho News 6. “We have some very good friends in Idaho. We didn't know them before, they are not Ukrainian. They have no Ukrainian blood, but they love Ukraine and they help a lot.”
Paul is a doctor, and Ivan manages the warehouse hub in Revna, where food from Idaho and across the United States is distributed across Ukraine.
Paul said the supplies make a huge difference, in Ukraine's fight for survival.
"But people from another country that is so far from Ukraine they support us they help us,” Silkovskyi said. “It's so impressive. When we see this, we begin to cry."
Lindsey Bohn, contributing in another way. Offering peace through her decades of experience playing the violin.
“When the war started, I just knew that I needed to do something to help ,” Bohn told Idaho News 6. “I have this gift, this talent and I was like ‘wow, I can try to use this to help people.’”
Lindsey traveled with the group near the front lines.
"And we visited the villages that have been destroyed where people were living in their basement and we were bringing food and supplies to those areas,” Bohn said. “I acted almost as like emotional support to help."
Sturgill's group partnered with others around the country to get flour and wood-fire ovens throughout Ukraine, making it possible for 40-thousand loaves of bread to be distributed every day.
"The American people are a great support for Ukrainians,” Silkovskyi said. “Thank you so much for this."
