The Department of Homeland Security says the 30,000 Ukrainians temporarily living in the U.S. can now stay for 18 months under Temporary Protected Status.

Pennsylvania refugee resettlement groups applaud the decision but say Ukrainians outside the U.S. need more support as they face invasion from Russia.

Many Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. arrived through the Lautenberg Amendment, which supports the resettlement of religious minorities facing persecution.

Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, said Ukrainian refugees already here are worried about their relatives still in the country.

"The family petitions require processing at a U.S. embassy, and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine is closed," said Miller-Wilson. "But, I mean, it will take a long time. The Ukrainian has to successfully flee and then get in touch with their relatives here. The paperwork has to be filed. It's a very, very long process."

The Lautenberg Amendment was an act of Congress in the 1990s that has yet to be reauthorized for 2022.

Miller-Wilson said HIAS Pennsylvania files nearly 150 petitions annually to resettle people through the amendment. Pennsylvania has the second-largest Ukrainian population in the country.

Miller-Wilson said between Ukraine, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August, and the political and economic crises in Haiti, it's made clear the need for U.S. immigration law reform.

"Despite all the rhetoric about the United States, 'Bring us your tired, your hungry, your poor,' the truth is, our structures are not responsive," said Miller-Wilson. "They're overly bureaucratic. They take forever. And when I say forever, I don't mean weeks or even months, I mean years."

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced that 76,000 Afghans had been resettled in communities across the country. Finding affordable housing for them remains a challenge for refugee resettlement groups.

Since September, thousands of Haitians seeking asylum have been turned away at the U.S. border due to ongoing pandemic restrictions.

This week marked the 75th day since Russia invaded Ukraine. As the humanitarian disaster unfolds, those carrying out Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) say additional government funding could make their work more effective.

UCP teams aim to resolve conflict and assist local citizens in a war-torn region by deploying strategies centered around nonviolent practices. They are seen as an alternative to armed United Nations peacekeepers.

The group Nonviolent Peaceforce has its U.S. offices in Minnesota.

Felicity Gray, advocacy lead for the group who is currently working with a team in Ukraine, said while they recently saw funding victories in Congress, they are still held back from ramping up efforts.

"We're having to go to all kinds of different donors and explain what we do," Gray explained. "A dedicated fund would enable that rollout to happen a lot more quickly and to respond to civilian need in a much more urgent manner, which is really what's required in places like Ukraine right now."

Through the most-recent appropriations bill, Congress directed the Secretary of State to provide funds for UCP, but Gray said they would like to see a dedicated funding stream of $25 million in the next fiscal year. Many groups and agencies are appealing to Congress with specific funding requests before proposed budgets are revealed in the coming weeks.

Marna Anderson, USA lead for the group, said there are about 50 known groups, plus many similar community efforts, doing this type of work around the world. She hopes Nonviolent Peaceforce and others can make a more permanent funding source the accepted approach in such situations.

"We have some examples from our work in South Sudan and Myanmar and other places where we are," Anderson pointed out. "But, you know, a lot of times people just don't believe that it's possible because we are so ingrained to believe that we get what we want through force and try to force particularly when it comes to violent conflict."

She argued their approach can help reduce trauma for those trying to escape a conflict. Many images and stories of brave citizens mobilizing in Ukraine have been widely shared. Gray added having expanded resources can make evacuations less dangerous.

"To have the trauma kits they need, to have the security training that they need," Gray outlined. "And for women and children who are moving out of those areas to be accompanied by dedicated protection officers that are able to identify risks such as trafficking."

An Iowa college student is organizing a fundraiser and a message of peace for Ukraine, in an effort stretching 75 miles long.

Anita Tamang, a senior at Luther College majoring in global health, and at least 20 other bicycle riders will embark on a daylong journey Saturday, starting in Rochester, Minnesota and ending at Luther's campus in Decorah.

Tamang said she has long dreamed about leading a long ride to raise awareness for a good cause, but could never pinpoint one. And then, Russia's invasion of Ukraine added urgency.

"I wanted to do something, but I felt so helpless," Tamang recounted. "I want to help, but I don't know how, what can I do?"

She received guidance and inspiration from a professor at her school who is a native of Ukraine. A GoFundMe page has been set up in conjunction with the ride. Donations will go to a local oncology clinic in Ukraine, where the educator's mother works.

Organizers added if there is anything left, it will be given to internally displaced people to address current gaps in care.

Tamang emphasized she hopes the endurance of a long bike ride conveys the importance of community members in the Midwest and elsewhere staying committed in calling for world peace.

"With this experience of organizing this and also riding on Saturday, we are hoping that people sort of stand up [against] the injustices that's going on in the world," Tamang remarked.

She pointed out those taking part in the ride will display imagery calling attention to the issue. Students and others supportive of the effort are encouraged to share messages on social media to raise more awareness.

Images from Ukraine and its fight for survival against Russia tug at the heartstrings of Americans, and those wishing to donate to relief organizations might have a hard time choosing.

A hunger-fighting group in the Midwest said it can quickly put support to good use.

The Midwest Food Bank recently began shipping its "Tender Mercies" meals to Europe. One of its partner organizations has a large facility there, making it easier to get the meals to Ukrainians who have fled their home country.

Mike Hoffman, inventory and logistics director for the Midwest Food Bank, said having the logistics in place hopefully makes it easier for people not sure about where to send their donation.

"It's not just sending food in, it's having the whole chain covered," Hoffman explained. "And in the end, the people are getting it that really need it."

Those who donate to the effort can allow Midwest Food Bank to prepare more meals for shipment. The Tender Mercies packages focus heavily on nutritional components such as rice and beans with chicken flavoring. Each meal shipment contains about 240,000 servings.

Hoffman added the Midwest Food Bank is consistently rated highly by the independent evaluator Charity Navigator. He hopes it is another reason to compel more people to donate to the effort. He pointed out the meals will provide substantial nutrition for individuals dealing with a lot of stress and uncertainty for the foreseeable future.

"This isn't anything that's going to be ... as soon as the war is over, everything's gonna be fine," Hoffman stressed.

He emphasized the humanitarian effort to help those recover will be a long process. Several million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began.