October 2025
Dear Friends of Ukraine,
We often say that our work supports “Ukrainian Defenders.” But who exactly are they?
Ukrainian Defenders represent men and women from every region of the country and all walks of life. Some have formal military training, others barely any. They come from different occupations–lawyers, construction workers, teachers, musicians–and different levels of education, but are united in their choice to stand in defense of their homeland. They share a deep sense of patriotism for Ukraine and responsibility toward their loved ones, the kind that makes ordinary people step into roles they would not have thought possible to do extraordinary things.
Read on to learn more about our work, the impact your monthly campaign donations are having, upcoming events, and the deep historical roots of the Day of the Defenders in Ukraine celebrated on October 1st. Or read no further and click ‘Donate Now’ above to help.
Thank you for making a difference.
Together we are stronger!
Kyle, Andriy, Slava, Ulana, Natalie and all of us at
Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
Spread Seeds of Help!
In August 2025, we provided 871 items to 338 Defenders:
169 individual first aid kits (e.g. tourniquets, chest seals)
217 protective equipment items (electronic earmuffs...)
319 tactical gear items (camelbacks, knee pads, canteens...)
36 uniform components (uniform sets, sleeping pads...)
166 other items (mostly binoculars and drone detectors...)
Small backpacks, self-inflating sleeping mats, electronic earmuffs, and the drone detectors that we recently started supplying were in high demand. Thank you to the 245 Sunflower Seeds Ukraine donors who contributed to our efforts in August–we appreciate your help!
Monthly Campaigns
Over the past year, we launched multiple campaigns to raise funds for specific needs, including drone detectors, clean water equipment, protective hearing gear, shipping costs of containers to Ukraine, humanitarian projects to help Ukrainian children impacted by the war, and others. These campaigns have been incredibly successful and have allowed us to distribute aid based on the most pressing needs and common requests so we can save the lives and strengthen the resolve of Ukrainian Defenders.
Rather than focusing on a targeted campaign this month, we ask our supporters to consider making a monthly commitment to enable us to continue the work we’re doing. A monthly donation, no matter the size, provides us with a predictable revenue stream to continue our basic operations and keep supplies flowing. For example, a $20-per-month donation—the price of a cafe lunch—supplies a Defender with protective earmuffs or a backpack with pouches. It is easy to set up with your payment card on our Patreon page, so you don’t have to worry about that in the future.
October 9-11: Ruslan Horovyi Ukrainian Readings and Film
Ukrainian filmmaker, author, and humanitarian Ruslan Horovyi will appear in three Colorado locations: Castle Rock (film), Arvada, and Louisville on October 9-11, respectively. This is a Ukrainian language event.
October 17th: BEZ OBMEZHEN
One of Ukraine's most popular bands will perform in Denver on Friday, October 17th at the Oriental Theater. See a clip from one of their last tours here. Details and tickets can be found here.
October 18th: Solar Chargers for Ukraine
We will prepare small, portable solar panels decorated with messages of hope and support for Ukraine! During this event we hold a video call with Ukrainians that have received and/or delivered these panels. It's a true honor to hear from them first hand about what they are experiencing and to show them our support! Click here to see a short video about Solar Panels for Ukraine.
SFSU USA in Community in September
SFSU volunteers and supporters, along with Ukrainians of Colorado attended the University of Colorado Alumni sponsored showing of Ukraine Under Fire: A Short Film + Q&A with Journalist and Filmmaker Jordan Campbell at E-Town in Boulder. We encourage all of you to view this powerful film UKRAINE UNDER FIRE | A Film About War & Resilience (2025).
For dates and times of this and other events, as well as a recap and photos of our recent events, see our blog post.
Meet Alex, software developer by day, SFSU’s tech support by night. He’s lived in Colorado since 1995 but originally hails from Odesa, Ukraine, where some of his family members still live. He says we all need to understand why Ukrainians are fighting so hard to resist Russian rule: “It is imperative that we push back against the authoritarian takeover of a democratic state.”
Previously a 3D animator, Alex now works on machine automation in the animal feed industry, having discovered he liked coding indie video games more than designing them. He’s been lending his tech skills to SFSU by helping the team migrate files to a new, streamlined Google Workspace.
Alex came to SFSU through another dedicated volunteer, his wife Krista, with whom he shares two children. He appreciates SFSU’s focus on equipping Defenders: “There are so many people under arms that require services or equipment that the Ukrainian government was not fully able to requisition. For every sleeping mat, coat, or canteen we pack, we make the lives of these brave people a little easier.”
To read more about Alex and other SFSU team members, go to our Patreon page. There, you also can also subscribe to get exclusive interviews with recipients of our aid from the front lines and behind-the-scenes videos about our work.
On October 1st, Ukraine celebrates three deeply connected holidays. First it’s a Day of Defenders of Ukraine (Defenders Day), paying tribute to all who safeguard the nation today. Second, it’s “Pokrova” (Intercession of the Holy Theotokos)–a holiday of prayer for divine protection. Third, it’s Cossack’s Day, honoring Ukraine’s fearless defenders of the past.
These observances share a common spirit of courage, faith, and devotion to freedom. The Cossacks, who once saw the Virgin Mary as their protector, passed down a legacy of strength and sacrifice that continues to inspire today’s Defenders. Together, these traditions remind Ukrainians, and all who stand with them, that defending one’s homeland is a timeless act of love for one’s people and country.
For more about the significance of this day, check out our blog post.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested, or use this form to subscribe or unsubscribe. The web version of this and all previous newsletters is here. For more frequent updates about our work, please like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our Youtube channel and Patreon page. Browse our website for multiple ways to donate, or send us an email if you have any questions.
*The misspelling and lower casing of proper names like ‘russia’ in this newsletter is intentional and used as signs of disdain and disrespect. Similarly, the uppercasing of words such as ‘Defenders’ is intentional and used as a sign of respect and appreciation.
Note: Sunflower Seeds Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 99-3371103) registered in the state of Colorado, in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by U.S. law.
