After Russia invaded Ukraine, folks started to dump out their vodka to show their disapproval of Russia’s unprovoked attack. The problem was: most of the vodka they were dumping out didn’t even come from Russia. But now, people can show their support for Ukraine — and actually help the Ukrainian people — by buying vodka.
Chopin, a family-owned Polish vodka brand, is making a concerted effort to support those who have fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion. From March 17 to May 17, the vodka brand will donate 100 percent of its profits from the sale of its products — which includes Chopin Potato, Chopin Wheat, Chopin Rye, and Chopin Family Reserve — to World Central Kitchen. This only applies to vodkas sold directly from Chopin’s website, where the potato, wheat and rye varieties retail for $33 and Chopin Family Reserve retails for $130.
World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, has been providing meals to the nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled their home country. The latest numbers show that Poland has taken in over 2 million Ukrainian refugees, which is about about equal to the population of Poland’s capital city.
“We can’t just stand by, we need to help our neighbors,” Chopin founder’s Tad Dorda said in a press release. “The Chopin distillery is about 70 miles from the Russian border so this hits very close to home and feels as if Eastern Europe’s painful history is repeating itself.”
The Dorda family has been working directly with Ukrainian refugee families to find them housing, and the family is also offering jobs to work at the Chopin factory. For more information and to buy vodka to help Ukrainian refugees, head to Chopin’s website here.
