Women and children are struggling in war-torn Ukraine. Here’s how you can help.

You may be surprised to learn the following facts about the leading cause of death worldwide:
- It affects women far more than men
- It’s a completely preventable problem
- It’s hunger.
Nearly a year has passed since Russian forces arrived in Ukraine, sparking one of the largest military conflicts since the end of World War II. Civilian suffering is by far the greatest casualty of this war; the United Nations estimates that 17.6 million people in Ukraine will require humanitarian assistance in the coming months.
Over half are women and girls.
Photo courtesy of CARE.org
Honestly, it makes sense: it is women who are tasked with fleeing from their war-torn homes with children and elderly family members in their care. In times of crisis, it is women who are called to hold together the tattered shreds of civilization, to create a home from a dank basement or a trench, to maintain some sense of normalcy in the middle of trauma. Women and girls are especially susceptible to starvation when food is scarce—they often eat less, and last.
Women are the ones who keep families moving forward despite the devastation of war, which is why CARE, a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty, is so focused on giving them a voice.
Ukrainians face a multi-generational challenge to rebuild their lives in the wake of conflict. While working tirelessly to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of the conflict, the global community cannot lose sight of the long-term impacts on jobs, education, human rights, and social norms.
"This conflict is not just testing the mettle and resilience of the Ukrainian people, both of which they have shown in spades over and again,” said Michelle Nunn, CARE President & CEO. “This is a conflict that will test the resilience of the global community as a whole – the countries hosting displaced Ukrainians, to those facing famine, global donors and policy makers, and humanitarian, development, and civil society organizations."
Your CARE Package gift can help provide the most urgent needs.Photo courtesy of CARE.org
As the conflict enters its second year with no signs of abating it is imperative that the global community redouble its efforts and renew its will to support conflict-affected communities, both now, and in the future. So far, CARE has reached over 960,000 people across Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Georgia, and Germany, mostly through local partners with protection and psychosocial support, cash assistance, food, water, sanitation & hygiene assistance, health services, support for accommodation, protection against gender-based violence and education.
Keeping women and girls as the focus, CARE is working to support locally-led women’s organizations in Ukraine through grants, logistical support and expertise to rural grassroots led women’s organizations to help them deliver humanitarian assistance such as accommodation, advocacy around women’s rights and equality, relief items and relocation services.
They have also begun to work actively to restore homes and provide psychological assistance to civilians who are impacted by the trauma of war. Together with partners, CARE is opening safe spaces for women and girls, which provide the most necessary counseling, training, and qualification for women. However, the number one priority is food, and they need all the help we can muster to funnel in resources to keep these people alive.
Equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Your $75 donation can give a displaced family fuel for heating and cooking, or support determined and brave women with emergency cash to purchase things like flashlights, food, and blankets or secure shelter.
For the price of a meal out, you can give Ukrainians dignity, hope, and a future.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.