How It Started
When the war in Ukraine started in February of 2022, our Founders, Lauren & Matt Filbeck, like so many others, were glued to the latest news reports of the violence unfolding and ensuing humanitarian crises. After a couple weeks of headlines the Filbecks felt compelled “to do something” to help lessen the plight of the Ukrainian people.
Not ones to make hasty decisions, our Founders pondered and prayed over what “do something” meant, until one evening,
Lauren turned to Matt and said, “I think we should go volunteer in Ukraine.”
Without missing a beat, Matt replied, “Okay.”
Within 3 weeks of that conversation the Filbecks established and mobilized a small grass roots effort, and headed to Lublin, Poland to meet Polish & Ukrainian contacts to administer humanitarian aid and support to those in need.
April 2022: Lauren & Matt with Pastor Igor Buben (center) purchasing 2 tons of food in Lublin for shipment to eastern Ukraine.
June 2022: Medics in Eastern Ukraine receive protective plate carrier vests.
In the months that followed, the Filbecks and their team stewarded over $75,000 of humanitarian aid directly to Ukrainian civilians and soldiers in need; efforts that ultimately paved the way towards becoming the legal 501(c)(3) organization of The IBC today.
We are proud to build and grow our organization on the selfless efforts of those early days. We continue to execute our mission and provide aid and support to people suffering the harsh realities of conflict and war, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere in the world.
April 2022: Medical supplies delivered to front lines.
April 2022: Days later, the food purchased in Lublin distributed to people in Eastern Ukraine.