Like many of you, I have been watching what has been going on with Ukraine and Russia. I'm one to stay out of politics, but I can't help but feel compelled to help innocent people in some way, no matter how small.

 

While there is not much I can do, I did see a good idea on TikTok the other day. I wish I could remember the original creator who came up with the idea to give credit to, but unfortunately, I do not know who it is. I saw it through someone who shared it because they saw the idea. So if you know the original creator, please let me know so I can give them credit for this.

 

The idea I saw was to find Etsy shops in Ukraine and make purchases from them but tell them not to ship the products, that you just wanted to support them. The problem with that, from what I was seeing in the comments, was that Etsy would close their shop for non-payment. We don't want to risk any shops, especially now. Not to mention they wouldn't be able to ship items out if they wanted to based on the current situation.

 

So my idea, which I'm sure others have thought of as well before me, is to purchase digital products instead of physical ones. They get paid, they don't have to ship anything, and their accounts remain safe. If you're not sure how to find these items, I'm going to explain below with screenshots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Head to Etsy.com and search for digital products - whatever you want. In the search bar just type what you are looking for and click search.

 

 

2) Once the search results come up, click the 'all filters' button just above the search results on the left-hand side.

 

 

3) In the box that pops up for the filters, scroll down to 'shop location' and select 'custom' and type in 'Ukraine' then click 'apply'. You now have results for only those in Ukraine.

 

 

The clip art of the girl used in the images was purchased through a very grateful Ukraine seller, ArtBoutiqueByLina. It was only $2.00 and is a g great way to send a message of support while making a donation directly to the people of Ukraine. Some other Ukraine sellers I purchased clipart from are: 

 

It doesn't feel like much, but it is something. I intend to find some more Ukrain shops to make small purchases from. When making the purchase I like to provide a message of support. The smallest act of kindness can mean so much in such dark times. 

 

Additionally, I am using the clipart I purchase to make items to show support for Ukraine. While this money does not go directly to the people, any money made from the sales of these items (I only make a small commission from them), I will be turning around to support more Ukrainians on Etsy so it goes back to them.

 

 

 I went on Etsy and discovered Etsy made it easy to support those in Ukraine. They made a direct link to support Ukraine sellers for digital products that require no shipping! Only digital files. One thing to note is that this is NOT all the Ukraine shops. These are just a few of them. Ultimately, I prefer the original way of searching, but wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this option as well.

 

On the page, Etsy states: Many of you are looking for ways to help those affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. So we’ve rounded up digital downloads (no shipping needed) from sellers in Ukraine to help you directly support small business owners in the region.

TIP: Check out some other ways to show support for Ukraine while you are here!

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