Programming Notes: Mila Kunis, Sean Penn, Chef Jose Andre, Glenn Close, "CNN Heroes Salute Is one of the celebrities recognized in. , ”Saturday, June 25th, hosted by Erin Burnett at 10pm. ET.
(CNN)In 1991, when actor Mila Kunis emigrated to the United States, her family left the Soviet Union at the time. She was seven and a half years old. She speaks Russian and she says she thought she was Russian.
She said, "When I say Ukraine, no one knows where the country is on the map, so it was like" it's exhausted. " Stick to the big red dot over there. So I think I've been from Russia for years, "Knis told CNN's Erin Burnett.
When Russian troops invaded Ukraine last February, Knis said she felt her new pride in the country in which she was born. She stated, "I found myself a Russian-speaking Ukrainian and correct myself and my friends from Ukraine."
Since the invasion, about one-third of Ukrainian people have been forced to abandon their homes and more than 5 million have sought refuge in other countries.
When I saw the news of the war, Knis was greatly influenced. She told Burnett, "As a mother, seeing a child being harmed is an indescribable pain because I only want to help the child. That's literally what I want to do. That's it. "
So Knis and her husband Ashton Kutcher decided to "reverse engineer that desire and try to find the most productive way to help."
Together, they sought a way to immediately influence those in distress. They decided to raise money and help provide refugees with housing and supplies.
"When I realized that this would not end tomorrow, I was able to worry not only about the refugee problem, but also about the refugee situation of delivering supplies to the country. And I knew it. My husband and I could make it easier. "
They partnered with GoFundMe.org and GoFundMe.org established a technical structure to accept donations within a few hours
To date, Stand with Ukraine has raised over $ 36 million and donated over 75,000 people. According to Knis, the campaign will not only help the Ukrainian people, but will also allow supporters from around the world to participate.
"If you think you've donated $ 5, $ 2, or $ 10, you're interested in investing in the results of your donation," she said.
Their efforts drew the attention of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who connected with them on a video call.
"It was very, very smart," Knis said. "I wasn't chatting. It was literally like getting into business. Who do you think can help with this? ... Can you call this person?"
This wasn't the first time they spoke. A few years ago, Knis and Katcher sat down with Zelensky and his wife, and her meeting, which Knis said, left her feeling very positive.
"Sometimes I meet magical unicorns.'I hope you succeed because you are a normal and lovely person with the highest intentions.'"
Knis Because of the war in Ukraine is a battle for democracy, she says the situation also provides lessons for her children.
"We talk to them about the war. Did ... not as everything is miserable, but with a solution at hand ... yes, there is a problem in the world, yes, you have a problem, but there is no problem that cannot be solved . "
