Tatiana Arabadzhy swallows hard as she talks about her family in Ukraine. The local hairdresser appears to be making a concerted effort not to be overcome by emotion as she talks.

“We talk to them every day, every day,” she says. “Sometimes it goes two days because they don’t have internet or electricity but we’re trying every day.”

Tatiana has made no secret of the fact she is deeply worried about her friends and family in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The hairdresser’s clients have heard her talk about her concerns. Carmen Berglund’s daughter is among those clients. So, when Berglund and her fellow InCycle Indy staffers decided they wanted to help the people of Ukraine, they focused their effort on Tatiana’s family.

“We just want our InCycle and yoga studio community to come together and help Tatiana and her family and her friends who are over there,” Berglund said. “We just put it out there. We have two weeks that we want to raise three-thousand dollars and we are just one week into it and we’re over two-thousand dollars. Our community is gracious inside and out here!”

Tatiana was already raising money and sending it overseas before the InCycle team joined her effort. She says the lone grocery store in the village where she once lived has closed as the grocer is afraid to travel for provisions. Her mother, she says, is now making harrowing trips to get food for the village. Tatiana is also sending money for the purchase of bulletproof vests and helmets for the police officers in her village.

“Right now bombs are being dropped on maternity hospitals, places where people hide with kids,” she said angrily. “It’s just sad. I think they’re getting braver with each day.”

The team at InCycle Indy is encouraging people to contribute to their Ukraine effort. They are not, however, territorial at all. They encourage you to find any charity you like that is helping the people of Ukraine.

How to donate: Venmo: @incycle Cash or check at the studio (payable to InCycle) Address: 736 Hanover Pl. Carmel, IN

For more information, visit Incycleindy.com.