NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — The White House believes Russia could invade Ukraine any day now.
Some leaders believe a Russian invasion of Ukraine is inevitable, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is only conducting military exercises with no intention to invade.
Ukrainians in central Indiana say they're hopeful things will get better for a county that's been in a state of war since 2014.
"For the last eight years, we have been hoping that we will get Crimea back, and then, eastern territories will get back to normal," said Nataliya Griffis, who sits on the board of directors for Mission To Ukraine.
Griffis is among other board members based in the U.S. who are continuing work to help disabled children and their families in Ukraine. The organization is headquartered in Zhitomir, a part of Ukraine where tensions are high.
"War stops life to a certain point," said Griffis. "At the end of the day, if there is a single mother who hardly makes ends meet and she has a child with a disability, whether there is occupation or no in that particular territory, she will still need to feed her child, she will need shelter to hide, she will still need diapers — all that and this is part of our emergency plans."
Griffis says the group started an emergency fund and fundraiser to help. Their goal is to raise $100,000 in case things escalate, leading to an invasion.
According to Mission To Ukraine, about 80% of the country's 35 million people are considered food insecure. Last year, the group helped more than 600 children and about 1,000 women.
For more information on how you can help Mission To Ukraine, click here.