PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. 鈥� For one Florida first responder, answering the call to serve his own community wasn鈥檛 enough.
William Shock, an EMT with AMR in Palm Beach County, recently returned from a two-month humanitarian mission trip to Ukraine, his second trip to the region as the country continues its fight against the invading Russian army, .
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His second visit was a much different experience than his first, he said.
鈥淚 would say the second experience was a lot more scary,鈥� Shock said. 鈥淚 went through numerous bombardments when I spent time in the capital of Kyiv. Every day the war is progressing, and it鈥檚 difficult to explain, but every single day there鈥檚 something new happening.鈥�
During his time in the country, Shock provided relief to both civilians and soldiers, providing food to those in need.
鈥淲e would peel beets, potatoes, onions, anything you can imagine, where we create hydrated meals for soldiers on the front lines and displaced families,鈥� he said.
Shock鈥檚 care and concern for the Ukrainian people led him to seek out and partner with a Swedish non-governmental organization (NGO), which helped organize the humanitarian mission to deliver medical aid and food. He is already planning a third trip back to the country.
鈥淚 want Ukraine to have its own sovereignty,鈥� Shock said. 鈥淎nd anything I can do to assist in Ukraine鈥檚 success, I鈥檓 willing to go above and beyond to do anything honorable.鈥�
