Photography: Alice VeySey.
As Harriet Campbell watched unfolding television coverage of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, she found herself profoundly moved. The Bay of Plenty professional cook, baker and barista had never done aid work before, but “as soon as I realised I could volunteer there, I knew I was going”.
Little did she know that following her heart would lead to unimaginable experiences, incredible friends, invaluable skills – and the love of her life. Now the 33-year-old is making a sixth visit to the war-torn country to provide aid to those most in need.
“As long as Ukrainians keep their hope, I’ll believe they’ll have victory – but it won’t happen without the rest of the world,” says Harriet.
The war might feel far removed, but it touches every part of the globe and draws legions of volunteers like Harriet
“Even people who have no contact with it are involved via the companies they choose to buy goods from and the investments they have,” she says.
Harriet first joined online fundraising efforts in 2022, which is how she met her now-fiancé Jason, 41, an Oklahoma-based archaeologist with experience in drone imaging. The pair volunteered together at an animal shelter outside Lviv, a Ukrainian city close to the Polish border. They became an inseparable team.
A mission of compassion
Two missions later, in 2024, the couple launched Never Alone – Humanitarian Kitchen in response to the need they’d seen for fresh, hot, morale-boosting meals. They’ve since delivered more than 5000 meals, plus essential hygiene products to people in neglected and remote areas, and food and lifesaving equipment to hundreds of frontline soldiers. Donations from New Zealanders help make it possible.
Harriet and Jason embarked this month on their sixth and seventh visits, respectively and will be there until December. Despite the risks, they’ve felt compelled to go – and the reaction they receive assures Harriet it’s worthwhile.
“Some of the times when I’ve felt we’ve been the most appreciated haven’t been when we’re handing out stuff. On our last trip, we went to a practically deserted village and were introduced to an old lady. When she heard that I’m from New Zealand, she burst into tears. That someone from here cares meant more to her than what we could give her.”
Liaising with local organisations and churches to find out who’s most in need, Harriet and Jason prepare and deliver meals from their temporary accommodation. On this trip, that’s a generous Ukrainian’s empty apartment 50km from the Russian border, “a good location to access the rest of the eastern front”.
Cooking through the chaos
In their makeshift home, they cook Harriet’s recipes for up to 150 people at a time, on three gas burners on a trestle table, surrounded by chilly bins and cooler bags. As well as the relentless fear of drone strikes, “fridge space, limited equipment and food hygiene are our biggest issues”, says Harriet.
“To top it off, you can’t use tap water for food preparation, so we have to collect clean water from a supplier.”
They buy the bulk of their ingredients from a wholesale store. It closes every time there’s an air-raid alert, which can mean hours of waiting leading to long, late nights of cooking.
Amid the unrest, Ukrainians are pressing on, living in their basements when it’s too dangerous to come out, with children learning online and in underground schools.
Making Kiwis proud
With a smile, she says we live in another world, but she “can guarantee all Kiwis that we are making a difference. Our aid organisations have delivered a huge amount of assistance and there’s all sorts of stuff you can tap into.
“One comment left on our Givealittle page will never leave me: ‘You make me proud to be a Kiwi.’ I carry it with me and am determined to keep living up to it,” she says.
Never Alone has also given her and Jason a new perspective on life. They support each other and are grateful for what they have – everyday problems do not worry them any more.
Harriet says, “We were just two ordinary people who didn’t have many useful skills for a warzone, but we thought if we can take one moment of stress away from the people this war is hurting so badly, if we can let them know that they haven’t been forgotten, that’s enough for us.”
To support Never Alone, visit givealittle.co.nz/cause/hot-meals-for-humanity
Follow the journey on Facebook or receive the regular newsletter by emailing neveralone.ua@gmail.com
