I might be a little late to the thread here, but I am proud to say that I have joined the ‘Writers for Ukraine – One Million Word Challenge’. And because of that, I’ll keep this post short and to the point – I am asking for money.

If like me, you have spent the last several days going through all your wardrobes, bathroom cabinet, and kid’s clothes looking for donations to send across to Ukraine for the refugees who are in desperate need of aid due to the current invasion from Russia, then please just take a moment to read on. I know I want to do more, to help in any way I can, don’t you? 

To donate clothing, medical supplies, non-perishables, etc I would advise checking out your local ‘giving in kindness group’ on Facebook or search ‘Ukraine Donations near me’. Many of the organisers collaborating with the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK and the Red Cross and other organisations are looking for non-perishable food donations, clothing for all ages, toiletries, medication, and medical equipment. 

The gist of the challenge is this; writers from all locations and walks of life have banded together to raise donations for those suffering due to the war in Ukraine. Without getting political, there are thousands of innocents suffering due to the devastation the Russian invasion is causing and as a result, these people are now refugees in need of those basic necessities we take for granted every single day. Simple, human requirements such as food, shelter, clothing, medicine, hygiene products and so forth.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Martin Luther King

And that doesn’t sit right with me, or the other writers of this challenge.

So, we are trying to do something about it.

The Challenge is less about hitting the writing goal (though that’s already been surpassed, hooray!) and instead, meeting the donation goal of £20,000. Come on, we can do it! 

The Challenge has been arranged by the amazing Dan from Activated Author’s and is being sponsored by some of my favourite writing companies and YouTubers, such as Scrivner, Heart Breathings, The Self Publishing Show, Jenna Moreci, Plottr, and miblart, to name but a few. These incredible companies and human beings, along with the (currently) 361 writers, my self-included, are pursuing the target of 1 million words in just 7 days – though as I said, we’ve smashed it already – in order to raise some funds towards the money that is desperately needed to help Ukraine’s people. 

And what’s more, it’s not too late to join the challenge yourself as there are still two days left. The official finish date is Tuesday 15th March. But even if you can only put in a day or two towards the word count, there is still a lot you can do towards the fundraising effort. 

1. Donate

Remember I said I was asking for money? Well, here it is. Please, please, please, if you can spare even a pound or a dollar, that would be amazing. 

All of the writers who have signed up have been asked to donate £10 towards the final goal, and it’s amazing how quickly the money adds up – but just remember, we haven’t met our goal yet, so every penny counts. 

2. Sign up to write!

As previously stated, it’s not too late. And even if you can’t dedicate loads of time to write or even help financially yourself, by participating or posting on social media in order to raise awareness and seek sponsors, it all will go a long, long way in helping out. You don’t have to complete a novel to be added to the daily word count. It can be even just a few words, a Facebook status update, or your daily emails. Take this blog post, for example, it’s going towards my word count goal for the day.

3. Share this post

I’m not fishing for likes for my blog here – purely using the platforms and options I have available to raise awareness of this awesome effort to help, even in a small way. But by shamelessly asking you to share my social media posts and this article, it allows me to spread the word a little bit further and if we all do it, we can reach even more people. We all know how social media works by now, so share to show you care. It takes seconds but has a massive impact. And the more people we can have see the donation link and the reasons for its existence, the more likely we are to make our financial target and hopefully, help make the current situation a little bit easier.

I’d personally like to thank Dan for coming up with this amazing challenge, all of the writers participating, and of course the sponsors, and perhaps most importantly, you! Thank you for taking the time to read and react to this post. It means the world to me. And together it is my sincerest wish that we can make a difference.

Happy Writing,

Lauren