German Street Coffee & Candlery owner Deborah Luksa, right, speaks with Elise Baach, left, during the We Stand With Ukraine Rummage Sale in Evolve on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — As the Russian invasion of Ukraine carries on into its second month, Shepherdstown community members are continuing to do what they can to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Since the invasion started on Feb. 21, Shepherdstown residents have held a rally and numerous prayer services on behalf of Ukraine and its 2,571 civilian casualties caused by Russia as of Tuesday evening. Local residents have also been finding practical ways to help with relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees and those still in Ukraine.

Tonight, beginning at 6 p.m. in the War Memorial Building, a Celebrate Ukraine! Benefit Dinner will be held. Organized by Shepherdstown resident Mark Kohut, the potluck dinner will feature a number of Ukrainian, Polish and Hungarian dishes. As a potluck, participants in the fundraiser are encouraged to make and bring their own Ukrainian, Polish or Hungarian dish to share with others at the event. Donations toward Ukrainian relief efforts will be accepted at the event, in the form of cash or checks, Kohut said.

“Some of us are going to spend all day Friday cooking. There’s going to be pierogis and borscht!” Kohut said, mentioning the three charities receiving donations at the dinner are being carefully vetted, to ensure the majority of their donations go toward relief efforts.

“There will be a choice of three charities for attendees to donate to: Save The Children, a long-established and highly-rated charity working with the Ukrainian Embassy; a second charity involved with distributing funds to the Ukrainian Army; and the third charity being the Universal Reading Foundation, which is helping a consortium of Polish and Ukrainian publishers to distribute free books to Ukrainian children, in Ukraine and wherever they are refugees.

A couple chooses between three different organizations focusing on Ukrainian relief efforts — World Central Kitchen, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Save the Children — to donate funds to, at the We Stand With Ukraine Rummage Sale in Evolve Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“The [Shepherdstown] Community Club is working with us, by donating the building and time to helping with the dinner,” Kohut said.

Meanwhile, the second and final weekend of the We Stand With Ukraine Rummage Sale will be held in Evolve on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Similarly to the dinner, the proceeds from the donated items on sale in Evolve will be donated to three carefully vetted charities — World Central Kitchen, Save the Children and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees — to aid in their efforts to help Ukrainian refugees and those still battling for their lives in Ukraine.

According to Jan Hafer, who co-owns Evolve with Elise Baach, the goodwill toward Ukraine in the community can already be seen through the number of donations received in the first weekend of the sale, which was last Saturday and Sunday. A number of the donations were made, without the purchasing of any items in the sale.

“One hundred percent of what we collect, we give to these organization,” Hafer said, mentioning she and Baach were donating Evolve to be used for the two weekends of the rummage sale. “It’s amazing how full we’ve filled the donation jars, and it’s so early in the sale!”

The rummage sale was organized by Shepherdstown residents Kim Lowry, Bill Lowry, Kohut and Nancy Stewart, featuring a large number of items donated over the last couple of weeks by community members, including antiques, quality collectibles, artwork, garden decor and home goods. Kim Lowry first thought of the idea for the sale, and with the help of her fellow organizers, soon brought it into being.

Pedestrians browse through rummage sale items on display in front of Evolve on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“A lot of us were feeling helpless about what we could do in Ukraine. It’s just an awful situation. I, personally, wanted to think I was doing something to help those hurt by the war. And I thought, ‘Maybe there’s something we could do in town!'” Kim said. “We’ve gotten a positive reaction from a lot of likeminded folks, who felt like us and wanted to make a difference from here in Shepherdstown.”

The sale has a secondary, politically-minded angle taking place, as well.

“A couple of weeks ago, I heard the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States ask the people in her audience to write to their representatives,” Baach said, mentioning the speech was part of International Women’s Month events in Washington, D.C. “The Ukrainians really need U.S. support, and that includes us needing to tell our representatives how we feel.”

In lieu of that thought, Baach had petitions at the sale for people to sign, encouraging political representatives’ continued support of the Ukrainian people. The petitions will also be available to sign at the sale this weekend, after which they will be mailed to their respective federal legislatures: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Congressman David McKinley (R-W.Va.) and Congressman Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.).

“The common denominator is to get them to continue to support the Ukraine,” Baach said.

Shoppers look through the items on sale at the We Stand With Ukraine Rummage Sale in Evolve on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston