#PlushiesBuildingBridges

The Plushie Help Network is a group of plushies who have come together from across the plushie community on Instagram to try to help our plushie friends and their humans affected by the war in Ukraine.

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What we've noticed while being part of this great community is that Plushies Build Bridges. In good times and bad, we share hugs, ideas, culture, food, art, (and quite often mischief!).

We come from across the world, speak many different languages, and have all sorts of backgrounds, but when we saw what was going on in Ukraine, we couldn't just sit back, and this is when the Plushie Help Network was born.

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Our tasks include but are not limited to:

• finding trustworthy on-the ground contacts

• finding trustworthy news sources & travel and accommodation links

• finding Ukrainian & Russian Plushies in need of help, checking in on them and seeing if they have needs,

• gathering a list of plushie people willing to directly support our plushie friends in time of need.

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So far over 90 plushie accounts from across the world have offered to help and we have identified a certain number of plushies directly in need.

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We are now raising funds for the following reasons:

1. Using our various contacts in Poland and Ukraine, we are aiming to get aid packages out to those who need them (first aid kits, medicine, food, care packages etc), as well as donating money directly if that is appropriate.

2. As well as helping individuals, we will also donate to the DEC as the UK government has promised to match donations made.

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If you'd like to know more, please search Instagram for: #plushiehelpnetwork #plushiesbuildingbridges #plushiesforpeace #plushieaid (our sister organisation), #PlushieAuctionForUkraiane

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And just in case you were wondering, our human pets, assistants, flatmates etc include a teacher from London, a nurse from Chile, a technology & communications manager, and CERN physicist from Poland, a librarian from Sweden, a prototype engineer, speech therapist, and nuns working for the Red Cross in Germany.

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Thank you to our lovely illustrators, Gusia and Bubi!  And thank you to all of you for your amazing support.

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Thank you for reading :)