After the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine had begun more than 4 million Ukrainians had to flee their country, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Almost 2,5 million of them are staying in Poland – a country that has generously opened its doors to the Ukrainians running away from the horrors of war.
In my previous article I suggested a few official organizations where you could donate to support Ukraine.
With today’s piece, I want to share the story of volunteers in Poland and an international company Kerten Hospitality which extends a supportive hand on the ground through a local team member. They had managed to secure urgent items for those in need.
I had the pleasure to speak to Karolina – an employee of Kerten, a leading hospitality Group active in 12 countries around the globe. She lives in Poland, and from the first days of the war, she realized how much needs to be done to help the refugees. She is joined by Krzysztof, a Community Coordinator of a Polish city called Zdzieszowice, where they are helping to accommodate and support mothers and children in local abandoned schools.
Diana: How and when did you start helping Ukrainians? And how is your company Kerten Hospitality helping you?
Karolina: I think it was a day after the war had started. Our team has been sharing their compassion and empathy following the news from Ukraine. Everyone wanted to help. I was sharing what I had been eyewitnessing in Poland when large groups of people started crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border. We saw the war on TV and in our living-rooms, with refugees (women and children) who lost their houses and were seeking a safe place. Our team was ready to help offer real support and with myself on the ground, I was able to coordinate efforts locally to ensure every cent goes for what was mostly needed. Krzysztof shared what was urgently needed here. Now I am working on prioritizing items like warm meals, milk, juice, clothes for the children, school items, etc.
Diana: Are you getting financial support from other sources and organizations?
Krzysztof: I would highlight two types of financial support we are getting. The first one is local support, such as City Councils, and the second type is non-profit organizations. The government of Poland supports the refugees too. However, it was rather slow, and they did not react as fast as was needed. In the first week of March, we welcomed the highest number of refugees, and the majority of support we got was from the private sector and non-profit organizations. The locals managed to organize themselves so well that they could create their own structure and teams in some cities. They collected money and brought much-needed items such as food, clothes, and hygiene products and spread the news via social media to involve more people.
Diana: Where do the refugees stay? In what kind of locations?
Krzysztof: Many local families give shelter to the refugees in their houses. And the Polish government supports these families financially so they can buy food for the Ukrainians and other vital items. But the majority of the Ukrainians are staying in old local schools, gyms etc. The city is turning them into refugee shelters for 100-200 Ukrainians, and volunteers work there to help out, collect donations and organize them.
Diana: How are the volunteers helping, and what is the situation with the donations?
Krzysztof: Apart from financial help itself, we receive a lot of donations of items like clothes, food, and people bring from their homes whatever they can spare. In the beginning, so many people brought the donations that we had a long queue. Nowadays, it is slowing down, and our reserves are getting smaller. The volunteers come here after work, organize all items, and separate everything by category to know how many units of each category we have. Volunteers spend hours and have sleepless nights to ensure that everything is well organized and structured.
https://youtu.be/k-IMkc3U4Jc
Donation details for the center in Zdzieszowice:
PL62 1020 3668 0000 5802 0592 3125
Bank: Bank PKO BP
Name : Krzysztof Molfa
Title: Pomoc dla uchodzcow z Ukrainy
Karolina: Another location that our team supports is on the other side of Poland in Rozin, much closer to the border with Ukraine. This is a “hotel” building turned into an orphanage for children with disabilities, all orphans from Ukraine. With the generous support of our network, we were able to pay the rent (around 2000 euros) for one more month. My sister lives in the area and helps these children by spending time with them and passing me information about the needs at the orphanage.
Karolina: To keep supporting the orphanage and the kids staying there, there is a need for more funds as it is run solely from donations. The Polish government does not provide support for this location as of now. The rent there is pricey, 2000 euro per month, 500 euro electricity and other expenses, such as food, clothes, toys etc.
Below are the bank details for people who wish to support the orphans in Rozin who had to escape the horrors of the war:
Name: Fundacja Honor Pomagania Dzieciom
Bank EUR account: PL02124051651978001112064478
SWIFT: PKOPPLPW
Tile: Dla dzieci uchodzcow z Kaweczynka
All the money received goes directly to those children. And the organizer reports every 10 days what the money was spent on.
At the end of the interview, Krzysztof shares a story of a mother and three kids coming to one of their locations. A tired and scared six-year-old Ukrainian girl hugged him and simply said “Help”.
We ask each person who cannot stand aside and watch the horrible injustice happening to Ukraine and the Ukrainians to help by spreading the news, donating and standing up for justice and peace.
