O.B. mom and child work to help Ukrainians

News about the war-torn Ukraine and its effects on children ignited a fire within a mother and her daughter to help. In response, Karolina Zamecka-Zea and Tessa, 5, of Oyster Bay, led a supply drive at Glen Cove’s YMCA Martone Children’s Center, where she attends preschool. With the generosity of Glen Cove families, they collected 40 boxes of supplies for Ukraine. The donations were given to Assemblyman Charles Lavine on March 25 for inclusion in a Ukrainian supply drive he is holding with the Ukrainian Americans of Long Island.

The idea came about after Tessa witnessed her mother’s sadness while watching the news where Ukrainian families were shown leaving most of their belongings behind as they fled their homes.

“The images are just heartbreaking to see,” Zamecka-Zea said. “You see these people fleeing with only one bag. I told [Tessa] that there are children far away who need help. She asked, ‘Can I help?’”

Zamecka-Zea asked the YMCA’s childcare director Liberty Ledesma if they could hold a supply drive for Ukraine. Soon thereafter, Tessa’s classmates and their parents indicated they wanted to support the effort. Within two weeks, Zamecka-Zea was able to collect boxes filled with clothing, shoes, personal hygiene products, toys, and children and adult diapers.

Tessa participated in every step of the drive, encouraging her classmates to join in. Zamecka-Zea said that Tessa understood that many of the supplies would be given to the children from Ukraine.

“Well, she is five, so I try to explain to her a little bit,” Zamecka-Zea said. “She did ask me if this was for her because she knows she’s a part of this and then I told her no, this was for the Ukrainian children.”

Zamecka-Zea said she knew that Tessa fully understood the drive’s purpose when, after being asked by her classmate if anything was for them, she responded without hesitation that everything was for the children of Ukraine.

Four-year-old Mathias Miranda inspired his mother, Anna Zevallos-Miranda, to get involved. He wanted to participate in the drive to help Tessa, who is his friend.

Zevallos-Miranda, of Glen Head, described Tessa as a powerhouse. “We’re so very proud of Tessa for taking this initiative and having been such a great helper,” Zevallos-Miranda said.

It’s important, she added, to teach children the power of community, of collective action, and civic engagement.

Children in Ukraine have been in danger since the Russian invasion began. According to a March 24 report from the United Nation’s Children Fund, more than half of the 7.5 million children have been displaced. At least 1.8 million Ukrainian children fled to neighboring countries as refugees and 2.5 million still in Ukraine have been uprooted from their homes and relocated.

Tessa’s grandmother, Jolanta Zamecka, the vice chair of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, said she’s heard of the devastation of the crisis from friends and family in Poland, where many Ukrainian refugees have fled.

“The older generation in Poland is telling me that this reminds them of WWII,” Zamecka said. “Woman and children fleeing for their lives, leaving their husbands, brothers and older sons behind. All they have is what will fit into one bag or suitcase — your entire life’s work reduced to one suitcase.”