WARREN — Growing up in Warren and spending time with both of his grandfathers who fought in World War II, as well as memories of experiencing Cold War-era “bomb shelter drills” as a child served as motivation for Greg Gold.

“We went to Lincoln Elementary School, where we had to go into bomb shelters for nuclear weapons when the Russians were attacking us,” Gold said. “I was fortunate enough to study at John Carroll (University) and studied abroad in London; my third year (at John Carroll), I went there (Germany) after ’91, when the (Berlin) Wall came down.”

An attorney and father of three, Gold, the son of Warren attorney Ned Gold, abruptly decided to take his first trip to Ukraine in May 2022. He’s made two more trips to the country since then, one in January 2023 and the other last month.

Gold originally intended to volunteer to work at the border or “flip burgers,” until he found out their needs were much greater, with native people telling him they needed people on the ground and tactical equipment — drones and night vision goggles.

After getting some suitcases and filling them with as much equipment and medical supplies as he could, Gold traveled across the border.

He worked his way to Lviv 40 miles away, where Alex Gorgan, a 53-year-old Ukrainian attorney and father of three who volunteered to join the army and defend his country, accepted his gifts. Since then, Gold said he and Gorgan, who visited Washington, D.C. in September 2022 to speak with U.S. leaders, have become close friends.

Gold said he has developed more resolve and determination after his last trip. He said when the United States, alongside Russia and the United Kingdom, asked Ukraine to give up the nuclear weapons they inherited through the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, they promised to protect the country.

There should be more resolve by communities in the U.S. to not betray that promise, he added.

In the time between his two most recent visits, Gold noted hearing the Iranian drones Russia launched and seeing women in the streets, but also senses positivity.

“You can see strength and resolve, and they understand the promise we made for their protection, and they’re hoping they are not betrayed,” Gold said. “Not a single one of them has doubts, as we need extraordinary resolve to win this.”

Gold recalled meeting a man from Cleveland, who went over to Ukraine to help reverse engineer the drones.

“When they (the drones) come in, they crash, and then they go and they figure out what their code is and then they reverse engineer,” he said.

Back home in Denver, Gold serves as one of several directors for the Ukraine Aid Fund. Donors can choose what they’d like to support — the troops or civilians.

Donors also can send the money to the general fund or one of the organization’s fundraisers.

For his humanitarian efforts in the country, the Ukrainian government awarded Gold with the “For Dignity and Patriotism” award.

“One person can make a difference; little by little by little and occasionally, to be recognized for that — feels good sometimes,” Gold said. “It encourages you to do more, whether you’re part of a group with an office, whether you’re part of the Boy Scouts of America, it encourages you to do more.”

Ned Gold admits that he does worry about his son, who travels to the country dressed in a cowboy hat and gear.

“You might as well have a neon sign that says, ‘Hi, I’m an American,'” Ned said. “And you know, he’s pretty aware of that.”