Green Bay Reporter

 Barry Nelson is feeling hopeful after being back in the U.S. following his second humanitarian visit to Ukraine.

“We are actually seeing people going back,” We Are Green Bay reports that Nelson recently shared this with Local 5’s Barrett Tryon. “Some of the trips we’re taking people into Kyiv versus taking them away from Kyiv.”

A Manitowoc realtor by trade, Barry spent the last three weeks there doing what he could to aid the cause by delivering much needed supplies across the war-torn region.

“You can’t even buy food if you can find it,” he added.

As intense and dangerous as the situation remains, Nelson said things are far different from the way they were when he made his first visit in March.

“To make what was kind of neat to see, you know I would think most of us would want to hurry up and get back home, as well, and see what was left,” he added.

With donations finally starting to trickle in, Nelson is proud to say he feels the people of Wisconsin are really making a difference.

“This was such a massive effort it was going to take time for organizations to get supplies into Poland to get into the country,” he added. “The Russians in these villages were tired of eating their rations, or didn’t have enough rations, so what they would do is just go through the entire village and steal all the food.”

Nelson adds there have been times when things have been even worse.

“They would send artillery shells just raining down on the village destroying it almost completely,” he said.

Through it all, Nelson marvels at the way he senses the Ukrainian people have remained hopeful.

“The Ukraine people, they are doing just phenomenal things,” he said. “I don’t think anyone expected them to defeat that tank column. I don’t think any of us think we’d be 70 days into this and still winning.”

Still, Nelson acknowledges that the situation remains a dangerous one, representative of a climate that seems to grow more perilous by the day, even for those clearly just there to help.  

“I had to come back a little early (from this trip) because Russia television is starting to announce the names of British nationals who are doing humanitarian aid work, like I have,” he said.

Nelson says that has, and will not, stop the help getting to those who need it and is suggesting monetary donations.

“Wisconsin Ukrainians” offers more information on its website. The group’s Facebook page also posts regular updates.