Renfrew Army vet collecting medical supplies for Ukraine

Retired combat engineer Shawn Johnston has collected medical supplies in Renfrew to support Ukraine. (Photo courtesy: Shawn Johnston)

Like many Canadians upon seeing the images coming out of Ukraine, Renfrew resident Shawn Johnston felt helpless.

The 29-year-old is a retired combat engineer out of CFB Petawawa and a current volunteer firefighter in Horton Township. With a natural instinct to help, Johnston began collecting medical supplies at the beginning of March.

"I'm at a point in my life where there is nothing I can do to go over and help in person," Johnston tells CTV News Ottawa. "So this is something I can do from Renfrew County. Let the people of this community come together and do something to make a difference on the ground."

These supplies include gauss, bandages, tourniquets, tapes, sheers, gloves, antiseptic wipes, water bottles, water purification tablets, and rope.

"To date I've moved 31 large Rubbermaid totes and over 28 boxes of assorted equipment and supplies," says Johnston, as well as an additional $1,500 in monetary donations.

Johnston has solicited donations of supplies from around the community, utilizing drop off points at businesses like Ottawa Valley Coffee and his current employer Dagenais Construction.

A majority of his accruement came from the Renfrew County sector of the non-profit organization Not Just Tourists, who distribute medical supplies around the world, but could not move their stock due to the pandemic.

"We would have given him the equivalent of $150,000 worth of medical supplies," says Tanja Kisslinger, the program Director for Not Just Tourists Renfrew County. "Putting those together into trauma kits, wow. That would help hundreds of people."

Johnston just sent his first load of supplies to Ukraine earlier this week, but plans to keep collecting until the conflict has ended.

"My goal is when they get on the ground they can get to families and people that are in the community, that don't have access to the hospital, or people that are staying on the ground," Johnston says.

"There are so many people out there wanting a way to chip in and help, to come forward in some way," Kisslinger says. "It's all those little links and a web of love to make an initiative like Shawn's something beautiful."

Those interesting in donating supplies to Shawn Johnston can contact him at [e-mail].