Oxford completes ambulance delivery to Ukrainian sister city

After months of fundraising and coordination efforts, an ambulance funded by the City of Oxford has finally arrived in Dubno, Ukraine – marking a major milestone in the sister city partnership between the two communities.

Mayor William Snavely said the community raised more than $5,000 for the ambulance.

The ambulance was purchased at auction and later refurbished and repaired by representatives from Ukrainian Action before being delivered to Dubno.

The remaining donation funds that Snavely collected were used to purchase medical supplies for the ambulance, according to Snavely.

The partnership between the City of Oxford and the charity organization Ukrainian Action, which operates in emergency support, humanitarian aid, recovery and reconstruction, according to its website, began in Oxford. Its founder and CEO, Jeffrey Hartman, is a Miami University graduate. Hartman was also one of Snavely’s students in the study abroad program. 

Over the past three years, Ukrainian Action has delivered 82 humanitarian aid convoys, 412 donated and delivered vehicles, and deployed over 40 volunteer members and more than 500 volunteer drivers to Ukraine.

“The other day, a very important and long-awaited ambulance from the American twin city of Oxford arrived in Dubno,” said Dubno Mayor Vasyl Antoniuk in a statement. “Thank you to the administration and the philanthropists of the City of Oxford for such a needed gift, personally Mayor William Snavely for his leadership in this charitable cause, for your time and all efforts to support our people in this difficult time for us.”

“I am grateful to all the active and indifferent citizens of Oxford who contributed to the fundraising to purchase an ambulance, the volunteers who fixed the car,” he said, “and everyone who contributed to the successful implementation of this initiative.”