By Satyne Doner, Contributing Writer
Lately, Saint Leo University has come together to support Ukraine in many ways – from hosting prayer services and informational sessions. Students have been encouraged to donate monetarily and donate their time to learning the Ukrainian culture.
On April 22, Sigma Tau Delta hosted a yard sale to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The week leading up to the event, students were encouraged to drop off gently used items such as books, glassware, and clothing. An art station was set up where students could decorate shirts and finger paint with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag. The event’s profits will go towards the Red Cross and Wyższa Szkoła Humanitas, a Polish university dedicated to helping Ukrainian refugees. The Humanitas Foundation allocates funds for people escaping the war in Ukraine and seeking shelter within the university.
Students and faculty alike gathered to not only donate, but to get more information on the charities raising awareness for Ukraine. 
Students were encouraged to “empty their suitcases” before summer break and donate any gently used items by April 19 to be sold at the yard sale.
Additionally, Wyższa Szkoła Humanitas is helping Ukrainian refugees by offering free mental health treatment, legal help, Polish language courses, and supplies like sleeping bags, bandages, and blankets.
Also, a video provided by Professor Agnieszka Leesch, professor of English in Saint Leo’s School of Arts and Sciences, provides more information on Humanitas, where all the yard sale profits are going.
In this informational video, Dr. Michał Kaczmarczyk, director of Humanitas University in Poland, explains that they have over 200,000 Ukrainian students. As soon as the war broke out, they were proactive in supporting not just the students but also their families in Ukraine.
“We try to help as much as we can,” said Dr. Kaczmarczyk. “We didn’t hesitate to help due to our close ties with Ukraine […]. I would like to encourage you to support us in helping Ukrainians […] who are victims of the war.”
Everything at the yard sale was blue-and-yellow to show support and love for Ukraine. 
In exchange for donating, Ukrainian flags were passed out on campus, where many students showed their support.
As a result of the yard sale, Sigma Tau Delta of Saint Leo University raised over 600 dollars on April 22. They plan to donate their funds to Humanitas and the Red Cross, and any extra items that did not get sold are also being donated to Solutions Thrift Store.
Likewise, Solutions Thrift Store also participates in humanitarian efforts. Located just a few minutes away from campus in Dade City, Solutions donates 100 percent of its profits to supporting victims of domestic violence in the area.
In short, Sigma Tau Delta hosted this yard sale to give both support and awareness to both local charities and international organizations. Saint Leo University has been adamant in its support of Ukraine, and Sigma Tau Delta echoes this view.
For more information on how to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland, reach out to Professor Agnieszka Leesch at agnieszka.leesch@saintleo.edu. Additionally, Wyższa Szkoła Humanitas’s website can be found here: https://www.humanitas.edu.pl/
Lastly, for more information on Solutions Thrift Store, be sure to visit their website: https://www.sunrisepasco.org/thrift-store. For anyone interested in getting involved in Sigma Tau Delta, part of the International English Honor Society at Saint Leo, contact its president Ryn Williams: cameryn.williams@saintleo.edu.
