OUR COMMUNITY

W

hile bombs explode in 
Ukraine and people are 
escaping for their lives, it’s 
life as usual for those of us in the rest 
of the world. War can feel 
very far from our doorsteps 
… until just a few words 
manage to make it more 
personal and heart-wrench-
ing. 
That’s what happened 
to Oak Park mom Aliza 
Ancier, who’d seen posts 
online of people collecting 
items like toys and clothes 
for the Ukrainian refugees. 
It was when she saw a call-
out for baby carriers from 
We Carry Ukraine that she 
paused. 
“It painted a picture in 
my head of these mothers 
escaping with very few belongings and 
carrying a baby in their arms … It just 
suddenly felt so painfully real to me,” 
Ancier shared. 
A hands-on mother to her kids, Ashi, 
6, Naava, 4, and Yoni, 5 months, Ancier 
has always loved “baby-wearing” and 
even had a small “gemach” of extra 
baby carriers that she happily loaned 
out to whoever asked. After hearing the 
call-out, Ancier immediately decided to 
donate her stock to the organization. 

Oak Park mom 
spearheads mitzvah to 
help Ukrainian mothers.

Baby 
Carriers for 
Ukrainian 
Moms

ROCHEL BURSTYN 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

18 | APRIL 7 • 2022 

Aliza 
Ancier

TOP: Many of the 
donations came with notes 
of love and support. 
LEFT: More than 40 baby 
carriers were collected, 
along with $750. 

