New England nonprofit announces 11th Ukraine relief trip on co-founder’s 80th birthday


PLYMOUTH, NH – Marking the 80th birthday of co-founder Steve Rand Thursday, Common Man for Ukraine announced the grassroots nonprofit’s eleventh humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine this December.

The trip will serve as Common Man for Ukraine’s third annual Christmas Convoy, delivering food, sleeping bags, and holiday cheer to Ukrainian children of war living in orphanages and child safe houses.

The humanitarian relief organization was founded by four New Hampshire residents, including the now-octogenarian Rand. While most people at this age retire to enjoy life at a slower pace, that is not the case for Steve, who has entered the war zone of Ukraine with his three dear friends and fellow co-founders 10 times since Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022.

Common Man for Ukraine co-founder and Plymouth Rotary Club treasurer Steve Rand announces next relief convoy on 80th birthday.

“I guess I am not your typical octogenarian and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” remarked Steve. “These children need our help and it’s the honor of my life to do what I can.”

Steve comes from a small town in rural New Hampshire and has spent his life raising his family, serving the nation in the armed forces, and carrying on the family legacy as third-generation owner of the 116-year-old Rand Hardware store in the center of Plymouth, NH.  A dedicated Rotary Club leader, Steve’s passion for service to others stands as a defining characteristic of his life.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” said fellow Rotarian and Common Man for Ukraine co-founder Alex Ray, who launched the nonprofit with a $1 million donation and will celebrate his 80th birthday next spring. “When the war in Ukraine started, we knew we had to do something. We were convinced that other people felt the same way, but just didn’t know how to act. So, we created a new path to help for all of us.”

Now, the Common Man for Ukraine group has spent the last two and a half years entering the war zone in Ukraine to help children who have no one else. The group has raised $3.5M for humanitarian supplies and mental health services for Ukrainian children and families. 

To date, the all-volunteer Common Man for Ukraine and its Polish Rotary partners have hosted more than 800 Ukrainian children between the ages of eight and 12 at the monthly Children of Ukraine Health Retreat, which provides both group and individual counseling, art and nature therapy sessions, and therapeutic physical activities and outings. Each 3-week program hosts 30 to 35 children and is staffed by certified Ukrainian teachers, doctors, and counselors.   

“Turning 80 years old won’t slow me down. There are 8-year-old Ukrainian children who have experienced so much trauma due to this ongoing war,” Steve shared. “There is so much more good to do and our work is not done.”

Donations to the 501c3 Common Man for Ukraine can be made online at its website (commonmanforukraine.org), check by mail (71 Main Street, Plymouth, NH 03264), and by Donor Advised Fund (DAF).  


About Common Man for Ukraine  

Common Man for Ukraine is an initiative of the New Hampshire-based 501c3 nonprofit organization Plymouth Rotary Foundation, EIN 59-3841932. The grassroots, volunteer-run organization delivers humanitarian aid, food, and trauma counseling to Ukrainian orphans, displaced children, and families struggling to survive this war. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made at commonmanforukraine.org or by mailing a check to: Common Man for Ukraine, 71 Main Street, Plymouth, NH 03264.