By Heather Gann
A Tuscumbia minister has taken his cause all the way to Capitol Hill.
On Nov. 29, Jeff Abrams co-led a memorial service at the Washington Monument and placed 600 teddy bears with blue and yellow ribbons to pay tribute to over 600 children killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“[Ukrainian] children deserved better. They deserved to be protected. And they deserve to be remembered, to have their names called,” Abrams said.
During the ceremony, members of several U.S. and Ukraine-based organizations prayed for children killed by the Russian Federation and read each of their names, accompanied by the toll of a bell.
Children of all ages were included in the memorial, some just a few months old, according to Abrams’ social media.
“We stand here today not just to mourn but to demand justice,” said Nadiya Shaporynska, president of U.S. Ukrainian Activists.
“We must hold Russia accountable for its crimes and ensure the world does not turn a blind eye to this genocide. We must fight to bring every stolen child home and to protect the lives of all Ukrainian children who remain in harm’s way.”
“Our gathering today sends a powerful message: Ukraine’s children will not be forgotten. Their lives matter, and their future matters. Together, we can honor their memory by standing with Ukraine, advocating for Ukraine’s victory and independence, and working for a world where children live free from fear and violence.”
Following the memorial, the bears, which were funded by donors and American children through fundraisers, were taken up to be sent to Ukrainian children in orphanages, hospitals, and internally displaced communities, according to a release from Shaporynska.
At the beginning of 2024, Abrams launched Rescue Ukraine, a nonprofit Ukraine relief group that calls for the U.S. government to help end the war.
“Rescue Ukraine is a group of Christians dedicated to loving the people of Ukraine as Jesus loves us,” the group’s mission reads.
Throughout the year the group has taken up donations for Ukrainian aid and has staged multiple demonstrations in Washington D.C calling for Russia to end their invasion and asking the U.S. government to “protect the defenseless against evil.”
