Meet Mariya Kemper-Reiss

Mariya Kemper-Reiss is Founder and Managing Director of Boca Helps Ukraine. Read Mariya’s Bio >

Congratulations to Mariya Kemper recipient of the Daily Point of Light Award for her inspiring service work!

Mariya is the official 7,359th "point of light.”

Find her award story here: Points of Light Award Story.

When Mariya Kemper-Reiss saw the war unfold in her home country, she knew she needed to help. Mariya and her family were political refugees who left the Soviet Union in 1989 with thousands of other Jewish Ukrainians. Many of her family and friends she grew up with still live in Ukraine.

Working quickly and reaching out to friends and contacts inside Ukraine, Mariya was able to secure a plane to send thousands of critical medical supplies to the front lines. She engaged the help of Summer Faerman, director of the TLC Program at B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, and Brittany Suarez, member of Grace Church in Boca Raton to facilitate the donation process and mobilize the local community.

They created an Amazon wish list delivering purchased items directly to a facility in New Jersey where the products were put on pallets and loaded onto the plane. The plane landed in Poland, and with the help of the Ukrainian National Postal Service, over $31,000 in medical supplies were delivered through security checkpoints and into Ukraine.

With no end in site to this mounting humanitarian crisis, Mariya initiated the outreach organization Boca Helps Ukraine and secured a central location to collect donations of diapers, canned goods, and other non-perishable items. The mission was to provide help and hope to those who have remained in the country. The 40 foot container was filled and shipped with $60,000+ worth of humanitarian aid as it reached Ukraine in July of 2022.

Other initiatives followed in the fall of 2022 - Back to School, Winter Coat Drive and Holiday Gifts - all focusing on the children in need in Southern Ukraine. By partnering with We Khersonians organization, Boca Helps Ukraine provided thousands of dollars worth of school supplies, winter jackets and holiday gifts

Our Community Partners

Thank you to our dedicated community partners.

• Temple Beth El - Our primary supporting partner, Temple Beth El is a reform synagogue seeking to inspire a passionate commitment to Jewish life, learning, community and spiritual growth. We are collecting donations to fund our humanitarian aid efforts as part of the The Disaster Relief Fund used by the Temple Beth El community to support others in times of disaster throughout our community and around the world.

• UrkPoshta - Our distribution partner on the ground, UkrPoshta (Ukranian Postal Service) is delivering the collected aid in local post office in towns all across Ukraine to the areas that need it most.

• TLC B’nai Torah - Lead by Summer Faerman, TLC is a founding supporter of our mission. The TLC program was first instituted in 2012 and has continued to grow in size and scope. This flagship mitzvah program touches all areas of critical need including hunger, homelessness, literacy, elder care, vulnerable populations, special needs and more.

• Grace Church - Grace member Brittany Suarez has been instrumental in engaging the local community to support our cause

• Marina Rodic is from Kherson, Ukraine and is a local partner and collaborator at Boca Helps Ukraine. Her travel background proved successful in obtaining American visas for Ukrainians who are looking to come to the United States.

• Hammer Graphic Design / Sprig Event Studio - Graphic Designers Megan Hammer and Kica Worrilow have donated their time and talents to our logo and website design, signage, collateral, and branded apparel.

• We-Khersonians - An organization with a sole focus on helping displaced Khersonians

• One Warm Coat - a Non-Profit organization providing coats for the people in need