Refugee Update - Explosion of Knowledge in this past week!

It is difficult to explain in a single blog post all that my husband and I have learned and experienced this past week.

Let me attempt to share.

We are now helping on various fronts -

  • Two places that are keeping Ukrainian refugees in our own town.

    One is lovingly called “Jozefow station” as it has room for about 90 people and the numbers are constantly rotating in and out. They never know. I spent a little time this week talking with a lady who works there and she said this whole experience has been them “flying by the seat of their pants”. They are constantly learning what needs to be done and what they can do better.

I haven’t felt right about taking a picture on the inside as I’m sure they wouldn’t want me to - at least not of people.

This tell how many adults and children there are and how many they are waiting on. That was only accurate that one day.

In order to keep people up to the moment at this place, they have to keep a white board with constantly changing numbers.

You all have bought for these ladies and children - various slippers and waterproof pool type sandals (they can take showers in them), cleaning supplies, boy’s long underwear and bras. Also, I have underwear ordered and I think I failed to get pictures of some inexpensive tote bags I bought that they need.

Here:

One nice thing - the person I bought the long underwear threw in a pair or two extra. I had explained in the documents to just send me the darkest ones as they were for the refugees. I think they threw in 2 or 3 free pairs - out of the goodness of their hearts. I didn’t expect that.

 

-The other is in Otwock, the town our church and charitable organization are located called Ognisko - or Campfire - and they are housing more women and children - including whole orphanages at times. Often people are simply on their way through for a day or two. I’ve got a couple of photos for you. I was there two times this week - both times with food and/or supplies. On Facebook they mentioned specific things they needed - at the time for 30+ people - so I brought a bit. Then, Sat. they posted more needs - as I had been there on Friday, I was not surprised. They got in a group of 50 in the evening on Friday. For those who were doing shopping on Saturday they had several things they suggested including cleaning supplies and toilet paper. I’ll probably take them some early this week (as you read this).

This was my first trip - I gave them a lot of mayo and wipes and such.

This time I bought things they asked for - cheese, jam and Nutella. Thankfully Nutella was on a stellar deal at Lidl.

I’m learning to just buy in larger amounts. It makes it easier to check out if I buy fewer things but a LOT of each item.

  • Sending supplies to Ukraine itself. My husband has now made contacts and we are learning about people taking trips to the border and Ukrainians taking humanitarian aid in - we’ve found a contact where we can buy canned meat which comes from the producer - buying by the ton. This week I worked hard to buy a lot of things locally - it’s lot of work to do this much shopping!

What I hate to do is clear out a store. I don’t want to buy so much from one place that a Polish person coming in to do shopping can’t find what he/she needs because I wiped them out.

  • Continuing to look to ways to help local people who have either adopted families and need help with food or Ukrainians who are on their own and need food. Many fled and their money (Ukrainian money) is almost worthless, so they are often penniless and broke. This is what we did this week with regards to them.

- several times - food
A variety of food as if you were shopping for your family, but with a refugee in mind. I think I did it 3 or 4 times this week. I’ve lost track, actually.


- 4 bikes for people who live a long ways from public transport or schools. We took them to this family who are housing them. They’ve already had to basically adopt 3 people and suddenly pay for all the school supplies (here you have to buy books for your kids for school). I wrote her and told her we’d get 4 out of the 6 bikes they needed for two families. When we took them there, the lady didn’t have any idea we were getting new - but we’ve long ago given away our kids’ old bikes. We didn’t get fancy new ones - just basic bikes.

-I still took a load or maybe two to the local fire station where they will restock the areas that give away things to the local Ukrainians.

This is the site that greeted us me Thursday when I came back from shopping. The bikes are stacked there along with mattresses and some deodorant and pool type sandals, etc.

The family that needed the bikes - looks like they will be resettling in Poland. Their home in Ukraine is gone - liquidated. Where their house used to be - it’s only an empty piece of ground. (Can you even imagine? If you’ve been a victim of a fire or a tornado - then yes! But most of us can’t. Their father is a military officer back in Ukraine.)

We also provided a bed for another family - that is down the street from us - another mom and her two kids needed a bunk bed. Along with the bunk bed we provided the mattresses and all the bedding needed.

Once it all arrived, we took it down to them and left it all - there are now 7 people living in that one open room - 2 moms and 5 kids. I also put some food in there. Someone else will help them put it together.

Thankfully they have a toilet and a makeshift kitchen. No shower, though. For now they are using the neighbor’s.

I think even a dye-hard-person-who-loves-to-open-boxes would get tired of this!

That doesn’t tell yet tell you about how Mike now has contacts that are directly taking humanitarian aid into Ukraine. We helped collect for this particular project. A lot of this shopping in the first photo wasn’t mine, but a fair bit was as well. We have a young lady (American missionary normally in Ukraine) staying in the church and she had been asked to do shopping to try to fill a van to take to Ukraine the day this blog post is coming out. She doesn’t have a car and I didn’t see how she could begin to fill a cargo van without some help.

My husband also learned about a place to buy canned meat by the ton - direct from the producer - well, we are buying it from the man who bought it from the producer. We bought two tons of it - at 10,000 PLN a ton - so about $2,279.75 for a ton of meat (meat product since it is in a can it has preservatives). We bought two tons to send. One ton is already on its way. The other ton is shown below in the back of Mike’s truck.

We have a missionary young lady from Ukraine with us - and it’s been her job this past week to do shopping to try to fill up a van. Well, she had some friends visit yesterday from Germany and they went shopping and seriously added to the ‘stuff’ in the garage big time.

This week the explosion of knowledge that we have had includes

First - knowing needs and places locally who are housing refugees - some people are only on their way farther west while some are staying longer. The one in Jozefow - the one called “Jozefow station” is a big hub and is in constant need of some things like ladies’ underwear and those indoor sandals because people come with only the things on their bodies. They need another pair or two of underwear. :) So I’m doing my best to help out there - without overwhelming them all at once. The day you read this blog I’ll probably get a bunch of underwear (panties) in.

Secondly - making some contacts on how to help those who are seeking to take food down to Ukraine - to fill up their trucks. We have a contact who knows where to take them to get their vehicles filled up (from donations). Learning this information has been huge for my husband who has been called on by various people for it - and until recently - he hasn’t known the answers.

Then, I’ve been working on making up these little bundles with a charity quilt, pillow, pillowcase, blanket and towel. I’m going to keep close tabs on them, though, and try to direct them to locals who need everything - in other words - not sent to Ukraine. These are more geared for the person ‘in a new place’ than to one’s home.

Our area is pretty saturated now with Ukrainians. People in the Warsaw area are now trying to see about getting them to go farther west. However, we know from other refugee resettling experiences, that going to a country that is safe but similar in culture is easier than starting in a completely different culture and language.

When I order things on line, I can get them delivered to this local delivery place, or get a courier to send it to our house. Sometimes this is more convenient.

Does that all help? I think that’s enough for this week. I’ll write again next week and update you. Things are moving quickly and everyone around is tired. I think that for now things will have to settle into a ‘new normal’ for most people in this area.

If you want to help with any of this ‘goings on’ - providing food, bedding, beds, and other necessaries for people leaving their homes behind in search of safety, you can do so here by clicking the button below.

You have been extremely generous to date - a total of over $80,000 has been donated. All will go to this project - helping Ukrainians! While it may seem like a lot to you and me - the needs are great - both here in Poland and in our neighboring country! On a macro scale, it seems like we can do little, but on a micro scale - in our little part of the world - we can make a difference.

Help Ukrainians in their time of need

Thanks again - about 1000 of you have given through this button - and you have been so generous. Thank you!

Oh, and I try to let each of the groups I help know that it’s not “just me” - but my American friends - and that “they care and want to help”.

Becky Petersen18 Comments