Volunteers from Western North Carolina on the ground in Ukraine

Boone, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - As conflict in Ukraine escalates, a Western North Carolina-based organization is helping on the ground.

Boone native, Ken Isaacs deploys around the world, providing medical care and life-saving aid in catastrophic situations. He’s part of Samaritan’s Purse disaster response team out of Boone, N.C.

“I got here Monday afternoon. I went straight to the border. What you do see is something that looks like extraordinarily busy bus stations with people coming through. There are thousands of people going across the border each day. I would say maybe 50 or 60 thousand every day,” Isaacs, Vice President of Programs and Government Relations with Samaritan’s Purse said.

Isaacs said there’s conflict and confusion at the crowded border.

“It’s very traumatic for them. Their country is in war. A lot of them have fled immediate fighting,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs’ team is helping refugees at the Polish-Ukrainian border, handing out essential supplies.

“We’re sending in non-food items, such as blankets and quilts, and solar lights,” Isaacs said, “We’re also sending in plastic sheeting to help repair houses where the windows have been blown out.”

A few dozen volunteers are working to setup an emergency field hospital and two medical clinics.

“The large hospital that we’re setting up has the ability to do trauma surgery and an inpatient capacity of probably 35 or 40 patients,” Isaacs said.

A cargo plane carrying the field hospital supplies will takeoff from Greensboro on Friday and arrive in Ukraine on Saturday.

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