The war in Ukraine lies far away from downtown Geneva, but a well-known shop in the city is doing what it can to help those impacted by the ongoing crisis there.
The Little Traveler at 404 S. Third St. in Geneva mobilized quickly after the war broke out in February and began securing merchandise spotlighting Ukraine.
Store owner Mike Simon of Geneva said the effort to secure merchandise began “pretty much as soon as the war started.”
“We started contacting our distributors and suppliers and we have a number of different flags, decorative coasters with Ukrainian flags on them and popcorn in blue- and yellow-colored bags,” said Simon. “We also have jewelry with the Ukrainian flag on it and T-shirts with a puppy dog motif. Basically, we’re just looking for products for people to show their support for the Ukrainian people and giving all the profits back to either the Ukrainian Red Cross or other Ukrainian charities.”
Those charities, Simon said, have surfaced thanks to a Ukrainian employee at the store who “still has family living over there.”
“Our employee wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons, but she has been in contact with her family in Ukraine,” he said. “She tells us where they think we should donate the money based on which charities are the most helpful, as most of her family is still there.”
Leslie Waterson of Batavia, who said she serves as a buyer for the store for accessories, fashion and fair trade items, said the store has tried to stock unique items that will help the people of Ukraine.
“It’s been a good challenge to find things that are appropriate and not mass-produced or very commercial. The products are coming from all over. The edible products are made in the U.S. and the shirts are printed from a company in Minnesota and the pins are made in the Netherlands,” Waterson said. “They (the pins) are eco-friendly products and all laser cut and we have two other designs that we’re sold out of.”
Simon said “a fair amount of attention” has been directed toward the store’s display and that “when people know about it they look for something because they are trying to make a difference.”
“We also have a lot of people wanting to know where they can make donations because they know we have a connection with our Ukrainian employee, and we’re happy to help that way too,” he said.
Shoppers like Katie Smalley, who was visiting from Keller, Texas, said she “has been seeing some Ukrainian” items down in Texas too and that the support effort for the people in Ukraine is one of the largest she has witnessed in her lifetime.
“This has touched so many people. There are things going on in other areas, but I think Ukraine – people have a lot of heart for them,” said Smalley. “They were just hanging out doing their thing and Russia decided they wanted to take over.”
Simon said the store has been making weekly donations and that the total to date has reached nearly $1,000.
“By the first of March, we were already getting things in,” Simon said. “The flags have been the best-selling – the most visible thing people can buy that’s making a difference. The blue and yellow color combination has become one of the most recognized in the world.”
Waterson confirmed flag sales have been strong “with people putting them in their front yard” and have been designed by a company in Ohio.
She spoke about how it feels having a pipeline to people on the other side of the world that none of us will likely ever know.
“It feels good to make a difference and it’s not a broad spread ‘send us your money’ sort of thing. There is a direct connection with our office employee and like everybody else you get hit up with a million handout ‘please donate to us’ kind of things,” Waterson said. “We have a small representation and we’re not asking a lot from customers. It’s not a high pressure thing, which is very much part of The Little Traveler mentality.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
