The European Union estimates the number of refugees created by Russia’s war in Ukraine could climb to seven million. Right now, roughly 1.5 million refugees are living in Polish border towns.

Three New Yorkers traveled more than four thousand miles to see how they can help.

"When you see people crossing over from Ukraine into Poland, some of them have seven, eight, nice bags all over there, you know, shoulders and arms, sometimes a child or two in hand. And you can see the fatigue, the sort of emotional burden on their face,” said Yogi Trivedi.

Travedi, Ravi Patni, and Dharmik Sheth are part of a small group volunteering along the Polish-Ukrainian border doing anything they can to help people fleeing the war. The three know each other from volunteering with BAPS Charities, a grassroots charity that emerged out of South Asia and is now located in eight countries. 

Aid has been flowing in to Ukraine from all over the world and the three men say the vast majority of the work they’re doing is making sure supplies get to those in need.

"Ever since we landed here, people were saying what can we send and I think that's a question everyone is getting. How can we contribute? So people are like, can we send you money? But that doesn't really help, right?” Travedi said. “Because how do you get that money to people on the ground? And how do you do that in an effective way?"

The vast majority of people in refugee camps are women and children. Men between the ages of 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine.

Travedi has young children of his own and says it’s been hard watching the Ukrainian children live with the trauma and horror of the war.

"You feel like their childhood is being steeped or stolen from it and we're seeing it as they're crossing over from the border,” Travedi said. “It's tough to watch. It truly is.”

More assistance is on the way. Meeting with Poland’s president this week, Vice President Kamala Harris pledged more than $50 million in humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian refugees.