Chris Sheppard is a Managing Director at ACT Capital Advisors, a premier mergers and acquisitions firm based in Seattle. As a former Marine, Chris was distraught hearing about the unfolding war in Ukraine. He talked to his co-workers for weeks about how he wished he could do something to help.

Two weeks ago, Chris decided to fly to Poland, rent an SUV, and help Ukrainian refugees at the Poland/Ukraine border. Chris used his own money to buy his plane ticket, rent a vehicle, and book accommodation. However, his co-workers at ACT began donating generously in support of his mission. In addition to monetary contributions, a few co-workers stepped up to take on some of Chris’s work until he returns. ACT Capital Advisors Chairman & CEO Robert Hild chose to match every dollar donated by ACT employees in support of Chris’s humanitarian mission.

A week after hatching his trip idea, Chris was flying to Poland. He was able to bring over 600 pounds of medical equipment and supplies with him and helped pay for a Harborview trauma nurse’s flight to assist with medical care. He left for Krakow, Poland on March 28th and has been there ever since, posting updates about the mission on his social media pages.

According to his last update, Chris was at the border and bought thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies to keep refugees dry and warm while crossing the border. Items purchased included mylar blankets, hand warmers, propane heaters, socks, plastic ponchos, and wool hats and mittens for adults and children. Swedish and Polish non-profit organizations are helping him shop for and distribute these supplies.

In a Facebook post today, Chris shared, “I’m going to put together a bunch of envelopes, each with a little note, and $50 in Polish cash to hand out to Ukrainians on the Ukranian side of the border.” He added that the notes would say, “Please use this small gift to help you through this difficult experience. We wish the best for you. Sincerely, the people of the United States of America.”

“What Chris is doing embodies the values we aspire to adhere to at ACT: the concept of servant leadership,” said Robert Hild. “This is exactly what a servant leader would do – seeing a problem and stepping in without being asked to be part of the solution.”

We will continue to post updates about Chris’s mission trip on ACT Capital Advisors’ Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

If you would like to donate, Chris is accepting donations via Venmo or Cash App below:

Venmo: @Sheppard1302 
CashApp: $Sheppard1302 

About ACT Capital Advisors
ACT Capital Advisors is a premier Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) firm representing middle-market companies across all industries. ACT has a 30-year history of deal making, closing 200+ transactions and unlocking over $2.5 billion in wealth for its clients. More information at https://actcapitaladvisors.com/.