Global Empowerment Mission

The Miami-based organization Global Empowerment Mission is on the ground in the tiny village of Medyka, Poland, using donations to buy refugees train and plane tickets to help them reach any family or friends they may have in Europe.

"They have an opportunity to stay with a friend of theirs, you know, (in) a bordering country where they’re in the warm and they can eat nice meals at the table," GEM founder Michael Capponi told Sanders.

globalempowermentmission.org

World Central Kitchen

For many refugees, food is an immediate need. Chef Jose Andrés has set up his World Central Kitchen on the ground at the Ukraine-Poland border providing warm meals for the hungry.

"Nothing sends a bigger message of hope than a humble plate of food. And that’s the only thing we know how to do," Andrés said. "America is gonna be with the people of Ukraine."

WCK.org

TODAY also compiled a list of United States-based charities that will put your money to good use, based on information from their websites. Here are a few other organizations you can support:

Maya's Hope

For the past 10 years, Maya’s Hope has been working to help kids with special needs in Ukraine.

This charity has an emergency fund that they are using to send money to families, orphanages, and hospitals. However, they still haven't reached their goal of raising $200,000. According to their official website, they've only raised $83,291.

JDC

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has answered the call for Ukraine. After helping to cultivate Jewish life there for the last three decades, JDC has involved itself in the crisis in Ukraine by activating its emergency hotlines.

JDC has already provided extra food and medicine to the "nearly 40,000 poor Jews it supports in 1,000 locations around the country," according to a press release.

“While we pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict, we are working around the clock to ensure tens of thousands of Ukraine’s neediest Jews have the critical care and support they need to survive these terrible events," Ariel Zwang, JDC's CEO said in a statement. "We do not know what the days ahead will bring, but JDC will remain a lifeline to these Jews and to Jewish communities."

Kidsave

Kidsave aims to keep kids and families safe during Russia's invasion.

For the past three years, Kidsave has moved "more than 100 children out of orphanages in Mykolaiv and Kherson back to their biological families or into new, loving homes, with parents who truly care for them." However, when the war in Ukraine unfolded, they watched some of these kids be uprooted again.

Kidsave says that they are committed to providing each family with shelter in small villages, food and basic resources. They are also trying to help children in Kherson and Mykolaiv orphanages get to safety.

"For these children who are still in orphanages, we will work to protect them and provide safe shelter for them until we can continue our search to find them permanent families," Kidsave told TODAY.

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps' website states that they are currently "on the ground in Ukraine, Romania, and Poland, providing funding to local organizations that know their community needs best and working to meet urgent humanitarian needs."

"We also plan to provide emergency cash assistance and connect people on the move with information, such as where to access basic services, information on safe routes, and their legal rights," they added.

From 2015 to 2017, Mercy Corps helped out eastern Ukraine by providing emergency cash, food, water, and sanitation supplies to more than 200,000 people there. They told TODAY that they restored "war-damaged homes and provided small-business development grants and training to help people earn income and support themselves and their families."

World Health Organization

The WHO foundation is calling on people around the world to help them provide aid to Ukraine. With everyone's help, the WHO foundation can reach its goal of raising $57.5 million to fund “immediate large-scale emergency response and health needs in Ukraine and the humanitarian response in neighboring countries.”