[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E374] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: EXTENSIONS
Ms. SLOTKIN: I rise today to honor Mr. Oded Norkin, an extraordinary public servant who over the past year has provided extensive humanitarian assistance to the Country of Ukraine. When Russia began its illegal invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Mr. Norkin answered the call and selflessly dedicated his time to sourcing and delivering critical aid to the most vulnerable citizens of Ukraine. For Mr. Norkin, this was personal: his grandparents, Sara and Moshe Norkin, were killed in the streets of Odesa, Ukraine, in 1941, during the Holocaust. Mr. Norkin, who was born in Israel and served in the Israeli Army during the 1973 war before immigrating to the United States in 1978, has become a pillar of the community in Mid-Michigan. A man of action, he immediately looked for ways to help. Mr. Norkin, alongside the Greater Lansing Jewish Federation and concerned citizens across the State of Michigan and beyond, gathered donations for the people of Ukraine. Separate from his activism, Mr. Norkin serves as the Vice President of Michigan Flyer, a public- transportation bus company. Because of this, he was able to translate his knowledge of the transportation industry into lifesaving help for the people of Ukraine. In the early days of the war, Mr. Norkin, together with a team of volunteers, helped evacuate elderly and infirm citizens of Odesa and Kharkiv to safety. Mr. Norkin and his team also secured five vehicles--four ambulances and one commercial vehicle--and necessary medical supplies and emergency equipment to be sent to Ukraine. The Greater Lansing Jewish Federation raised donations to cover the cost of an ambulance, defibrillators, and additional first aid supplies. The ambulances were refurbished, supplied with emergency equipment specific to conflict zones, and delivered to cities across Ukraine. Mr. Norkin transferred the first of these ambulances to Odesa in March 2022. Within a month, a second and third ambulance were sent to Dnipro full of supplies to help aid vulnerable citizens. The fourth ambulance was later sent to Kyiv, and a commercial evacuation vehicle was sent to Chernivtsi. Mr. Norkin has galvanized support for the Ukrainian people across Michigan and beyond. He has partnered with civil society leaders in Israel and Romania who have supported his efforts and connected him with like-minded individuals who assisted in completing these missions. Mr. Norkin remains an important leader in his local community. Even while traveling abroad to deliver aid, he remains active in the Kehillat Israel Congregation and the Rotary International Service Club. Through these connections, Mr. Norkin continues to recruit, organize, and inspire others to join him in his mission to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. Mr. Oded Norkin continues to carry out this important work. He answers to a higher call to render assistance to those in greatest need, stands as a shining example and inspiration to all for his selfless efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, and will forever be remembered.