A WOODLEY resident has returned from a “truly harrowing” trip after delivering aid to Ukrainians fleeing war in their homeland.
Ronnie Goodberry, who has arranged for thousands of items to be donated, made the 4,000 mile trip to help those in need.
Following a tear-jerking conversation with a contact based on the Ukrainian border, Mr Goodberry decided to gather as much support as he could and set off for the Polish border at 3am on Tuesday, December 13.
After travelling through treacherous, snowy conditions in Germany and Poland, Mr Goodberry arrived at a meeting point to hand over the goods.
Due to restrictions and what he described as “red tape”, he was unable to enter Ukraine to deliver the aid directly but, thanks to a number of volunteers, it went where it was needed.
“We unloaded it, they examined what we had on board and then, because of missile strikes in Kyiv and elsewhere, the hub got their guys to come and grab it from us and they escorted it over the border,” said Mr Goodberry.
The items were then transported to Kherson and Drohobych where more than 1,000 people were awaiting their weekly supplies.
Aid was also delivered to Bakhmut, which is in the Donbas region on the front line of the Russian invasion.
Items included scarves, gloves, hats, blankets and medicine.
After hearing stories of struggle and seeing pictures of missile-stricken buildings and roads, Mr Goodberry made an “instant decision” to donate an additional £400 for food and sweets.
Mr Goodberry said: “We went out and had dinner with our point of contact and he wanted to show us some photographs. I saw some of them and there was an instant decision to buy £400 of food there and then.
“It was food, sweets and it’s just a little bit of hope for some of the kids.”
One story struck a particular chord.
“The scenes were horrendous and there was one truly harrowing story that broke my heart,” explained Mr Goodberry.
“There was a video of a teddy bear on a swing outside a block of flats where a family with two children lived. The building was hit by a missile strike, the two children were killed and the parents were hospitalised for three weeks.
“When they (the parents) came out, they searched the ruins and found the little girl’s teddy bear.
“The little girl and the boy played in the playground, where the swing was, every day and now the mother goes down and pushes the teddy bear on the swing for an hour every day.
“That’s her memory of her children, and that is all she has got now.”
Mr Goodberry said this is one of a number of accounts which shows the daily struggle people are faced with.
“These sorts of stories are happening every day, but they aren’t publicised as much and these people are living in desperate times,” he added.
“People have electricity for possibly two hours a day.”
“There was one person begging us to get firewood so they could get their fires going.
“That’s the reality of it. That’s all they have.”
This was the third time Mr Goodberry has made the trip himself, but he has organised seven deliveries in total, totalling 104,000 items so far.
Donations have been largely made by Woodley residents, but the cause has received support from around Wokingham and Reading.
“I have heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated items and money to support us, as without that we wouldn’t be able to get the support there,” said Mr Goodberry.
“Some of the smiles, cheers and the thanks we were given just for taking a few bits and pieces over to them was crazy.”
