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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO IMMEDIATELY ALLOW COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO CONTRIBUTE THE MONETARY VALUE OF ACCRUED HOLIDAY AND ANNUAL LEAVE TIME TO GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION AND WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING WITH HUMANITARIAN RELIEF EFFORTS IN UKRAINE; DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PUBLICIZE AND MAKE AVAILABLE FORMS FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO COMPLETE IN ORDER TO CONTRIBUTE LEAVE TIME; AND DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE A REPORT AND EFFECTUATE THE DONATION ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, on February 24, 2022, Ukraine suffered an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces; and
WHEREAS, the mass assault by land, sea, and air is the biggest attack on a European state since World War II; and
WHEREAS, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created Europe�s largest refugee crisis since World War II, driving more than 5 million people out of the country, according to the United Nations (U.N.); and
WHEREAS, at least half of those people who have fled Ukraine are children, according to the United Nations Children�s Fund; and
WHEREAS, the number of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homeland has now exceeded the worst-case predictions made at the start of the war; and
WHEREAS, of those who have managed to leave Ukraine since Russia�s invasion, more than 2.3 million people have gone to Poland alone, U.N. data shows; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands of people have fled to other European countries, including Hungary and Slovakia; and
WHEREAS, border posts along Ukraine�s arching 1,600-mile western border have been overwhelmed; and
WHEREAS, lines to get into Poland have stretched as long as 20 miles, with people waiting through long days and frigid nights, often without food and water; and
WHEREAS, Russia�s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine threatens global peace and security; and
WHEREAS, Ukraine is urgently in need of the free world�s support; and
WHEREAS, Global Empowerment Mission (�GEM�) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 as a first responder to global disasters; and
WHEREAS, to date, GEM has committed over $105,000,000.00 in aid, delivered 376 tons of food, and relocated over 100,000 families affected by the crisis in Ukraine; and
WHEREAS, World Central Kitchen, together with local chefs in the region, has served millions of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing their homes as well as to people remaining in the country; and
WHEREAS, due to the massive humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine, this Board believes it is necessary to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainians and, as necessary, those countries accepting Ukrainian refugees,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to immediately allow County employees to contribute the monetary value of accrued holiday and annual leave time to Global Empowerment Mission and World Central Kitchen for the purpose of assisting with humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to publicize and make available forms for employees to complete in order to authorize said earned annual and holiday leave contributions. The authorization forms to be distributed by the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall include a statement that the Board of County Commissioners has approved contributions of earned annual and holiday leave time to Global Empowerment Mission and World Central Kitchen for the purpose of assisting with humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Section 3. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to prepare a report identifying the total amount of funds donated by the employees of Miami-Dade County. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall provide the report to this Board within 30 days of the effective date of this resolution and place the completed report on an agenda of the full Board without committee review pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall maintain possession of both the forms and funds received pursuant to this resolution and is authorized to effectuate said donation of the total value of County employee annual and holiday leave time contributions in equal amounts to Global Empowerment Mission and World Central Kitchen.