Jewelry Loft, owned by San Diego State Alumna Yuliya Ulman, is donating a sum of their proceeds and other basic necessities towards the families in Ukraine that have been impacted by the humanitarian crisis.
Jewelry Loft is selling specially crafted silver and gold rings that depict the colors of the Ukrainian flag which are blue and yellow.
All proceeds from the sale of these rings will be donated to the families in Ukraine.
“The blue is for the sky and the yellow is for the wheat that Ukraine is rich in,” Ulman said.
The gold rings cost $595 and the silver rings cost $150. These rings can be purchased within the store or on their website. Jewelry Loft is located at Grossmont Center in La Mesa.
“One-hundred percent of the proceeds go towards those people that are in need the most. Who have no food, who have no water, and have no electricity…most of those people are the elderly or young kids,” she said.
Jewelry Loft began donating their proceeds after Feb. 24, when Ukraine was first attacked.
Jewelry Loft has sold more than 70 rings, according to Ulman.
The motivation for these donations was to help the families in Ukraine and spread awareness.
“Right away when the war started, I thought I had to do something…I think people also really enjoy wearing something that reminds them of what’s going on…A good reminder that people are still hurting, people are still at war, people are still starving,” Ulman said.
Jewelry Loft has also sold custom-built jewelry for special requests that contribute to the families in Ukraine. These would include earrings or hoops with the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
“Anything that we’re making that’s gonna be Ukrainian flag-related, we’re donating just as much of the proceeds, 100% of the proceeds of anything that’s custom. Our store specializes in custom work so we’re able to customize any piece of jewelry as well,” she said.
The duration of this humanitarian aid seems to be indefinite under the current circumstances.
“Even if miraculously the war ends today, there’s gonna be so many people that are gonna be in need…They need time to rebuild. They need time to regather their food, just items they need to live. So, I think we’re gonna do this for a while,” she said.
Jewelry Loft is directly collaborating with the volunteer groups in Ukraine. These volunteer groups are mainly Ukrainian women and children because all men had to be drafted, according to Ulman.
The proceeds are directly sent to the families in Ukraine via wire transfer which are processed immediately.
Jewelry Loft has donated boxes of blankets, diapers, and baby formula to the families in Ukraine.
“Most of them are abandoned. Either the abandoned elderly or mothers with kids, because the men have to leave…It’s just basic human needs that they are needing right now,” she said.
Jewelry Loft and volunteers in Ukraine have been working to gain more exposure and involvement with other organizations.
“We’ve been featured on the news: KUSI, ABC10, CBS…people have been kind enough where they want to expose our story so that they can help…Because the sensation dies out after a week or two of a war, then we want to keep that going, that awareness that there is still a war,” she said.
Ulman and her company express their gratitude towards the individuals who have purchased a ring and helped spread awareness.
“We’re very grateful for everybody because we’ve had such a positive feedback from this that people are really wanting to help and we’re just doing the best we can. We want to help as many people as we can too,” she said.
