Four organizations are taking their stand against the current political crisis that is occupying Ukraine. “TILE$4UkrainianChildren” is a collaborative effort between the Tile Council of North America, the National Tile Contractors Association, the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association, and the Tile Contractors’ Association of America.
Respectively, each association has contributed $10,000. And with the continuing support the fund is receiving, donations and pledges resume to flood in from members of the community. The goal is to reach $250,000.
“Everyone has seen in the news the horrors of this war in Europe,” said Eric Astrachan, Executive Director of TCNA. “The U.N. is reporting that over 50% of the children in Ukraine have now been displaced, leaving them at serious risk of illness, hunger, and abuse. This fundraiser allows us to immediately put into action tile industry humanitarian support for Ukrainian children.”
Contributions to this campaign will help in providing care packages, including food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance to the children and families of Ukraine who need these supplies the most.
Save the Children is a global humanitarian organization, founded in 1919, operating in Ukraine since 2014. The charity sought to aid the country back when Russia first invaded and annexed the peninsula of Crimea. Roughly 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians died during this conflict. It became the straw that broke the camel’s hump.
TCNA specifically chose Save the Children for its campaign precisely because of the prior connections that the charity was already involved in with Ukraine and the surrounding area. Well-known for making an impact and garnering international attention and support, Save the Children was unanimously elected as the trade association’s giving base.
To ensure that the charitable organization was credible, TCNA used Charity Navigator, a charity assessment organization that evaluates hundreds of thousands of charities, to confirm Save the Children’s viability. A major requirement for this cause was finding a charity that would not be organized for religious or political causes.
“While understanding the need for administrative costs, we wanted the most dollars possible going for Ukrainian relief. We needed to organize quickly to engage decision makers at Coverings. We needed an easy donation path. We wanted people to be able to easily see progress on this campaign,” stated Astrachan.
TCNA is a trade association representing manufacturers of ceramic tile, tile installation materials, tile equipment, raw materials and other tile-related products. Established in 1945 as the Tile Council of America (TCA), it became the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) in 2003, reflecting its membership expansion to all of North America.
The Tile Council is recognized for its leadership role in facilitating the development of North American and international industry quality standards to benefit tile consumers. Additionally, TCNA regularly conducts independent research and product testing, works with regulatory, trade, and other government agencies, and publishes installation guidelines, tile standards, economic reports, and promotional literature.
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since their founding more than 100 years ago, they’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, they give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. They do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
For more information or to donate to the fund, you can go to the campaign page on the Save The Children website.
