A Ukrainian store in Dallas called Ukie Style Embroidery Art Shop has stopped all normal operations, transforming into a receiving and shipping area, taking donations, and sending 100% of its profits to Ukrainian humanitarian efforts.
According to the website for Ukie Style Embroidery Art Shop, the store, located in Dallas’ Preston Valley Shopping Center, carries authentic Ukrainian clothing, accessories, and home goods. Clothing can be customized with embroidery, decals, stickers, sublimation, and heat transfer.
Olena Jacobs owns the shop, the only store in Texas that retails solely Ukrainian products, according to WFAA.
Jacobs moved to the United States from Ukraine 12 years ago with the idea of opening the store.
“It was to share the beauty of Ukrainian culture, of tradition, to bring Ukrainian products to the world,” she said.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Ukrainian-American communities in North Texas are volunteering daily at Jacobs’ store to assist in her effort to help Ukrainian citizens. In the past 2 weeks, people have been dropping off donations and purchasing items in the shop to benefit the cause.
Jacobs said customer demand has been high for yellow and blue shirts, signs, traditional Ukrainian dresses, and other authentic wares from the European country currently being invaded.
Because many stores in Jacobs’ home country have closed, imported products have stopped coming in to her shop. With more than one hundred of her Ukrainian products on backorder, she began to create her own authentic pieces to sell by using her embroidery machine to make traditional Ukrainian patterns.
Volunteers have also brought their own items from home to sell in her store and raise money for the cause.
The Ukie Style store’s fitting rooms are filled with boxes to use for shipping. A list of items needed in Ukraine can be seen hanging on the wall.
Because of the overwhelming amount of supplies received, Jacobs had to stop taking donations of clothing and food. For now, she is accepting money donations, emergency medical supplies, and tactical gear.
According to CBS DFW, the store has shipped over three tons of supplies to Ukraine so far.
Frequent visitor to Ukie Style Agnes Denvir said, “It’s not just something that is happening on the other side of the world. We are all Ukrainians right now.”
Denvir teaches world culture and languages at St. Rita Catholic School.
When she spoke to her students about the war, she said, “All my kids asked what they could do. My principal has decided that the whole school is going to bring supplies now.”
The students created 1,157 yellow and blue ribbons to sell at Jacobs’ store, the proceeds from which will go directly to Ukrainian citizens.
Jacobs’ family lives in Ukraine, and many of the volunteers have family there as well, taking shelter in temporary underground bunkers.
Marina Palmer, a volunteer, said, “[I am] So grateful that I can come and at least do something, because when I go [to] sleep, I feel guilt. I eat, I feel guilt, because my mom’s there, my sister’s there, my niece is there. At least I can do this.”
Yulia Reed is an Allen resident who was born in Russia but has Ukrainian roots. After friends in Russia expressed that they wanted to help Ukrainian citizens but were fearful the government’s response, Reed bought what they wanted to donate on their behalf and shipped it through Ukie Style.
Reed said, “This effort is a big cause, it’s a big deal, and for me, it’s a bit of a representation of the Russian people who are absolutely against what is happening. I know a lot of people who did not choose the current regime and president.”