Since coming back from my trip to Poland mid-April, I have been reflecting on what message I might share. I have settled on this one, a common theme wherever I went: “We don’t want to have Ukrainians think they have been forgotten.”
As with every trip, more changes were visible, as both Ukrainians and Poles are adjusting to the realities of a war which has entered its second year. Some Ukrainians have gone back to Ukraine (though in a few cases, have returned to Poland), while some have struck out successfully on their own within Poland. Others are stuck in most-difficult situations, while many are still able to live in special homes for refugees.
As for the Polish people, some have moved on, having to deal with their own issues, yet many are still continuing to offer support.
This is true of three efforts the First Church of Jaffrey’s refugee fund is supporting: “Lapigua” in Zamosc, Dom Matki in Warsaw and Lukasz from Lublin. Lapigua will soon be moving its distribution center to a new, cheaper location where they hope to create a community center for refugees. Apparently, the place needs work, but they have a great team of volunteers.
Stefanie, the founder along with her husband, has a trusted network of people throughout Europe. She said that “the tiniest amount” of help makes a difference. Recently, they also started supporting a group called Health Patrons, which provides assistance to people in Ukraine who need medical treatment.
At Dom Matki in Warsaw, they not only continue to house about 40 mothers and small children, but have extended support to Ukrainians who have struck out on their own locally but need some additional assistance to make ends meet. They also have connections in Ukraine and send supplies there. On March 8 (International Women’s Day) they created special packages with cosmetics, hygiene products and sweets.
Anna, the remarkable director, said that with the help of residents and volunteers they were able to put together 3,000 packages in 24 hours. June 1 was Children’s Day, and Dom Matki organized a special event for kids with clowns, games and treats. It seems that each time I visit, Anna is broadening their outreach. She again thanked us for our help; our most-recent donation went toward repairs of burst pipes in their basement to include replacing items which were lost or damaged.
Lukasz continues to go back and forth to Ukraine. Currently his focus is on helping people move away from areas where fighting is intense. He shared the story of a woman who would not leave without her cow; they found a way to bring both to a safer village within Ukraine.
Regretably, the group home in Lublin (called Liliowa) is being disbanded. The owner has put the house up for sale, and there are only about 12 people left, including two families with children on the autism spectrum. The refugee support fund helped (deposit, some legal fees and transport) six people move into an apartment. They invited Marcin (my driver and team member), his wife Magda and me to a Ukrainian dinner one night; the place is very nice and the landlord left most of the furniture for them.
Three of the women work at McDonald’s. One of the residents is an young man of 20 on the autism spectrum for whom they are trying to find occupational training. They are very grateful for their “luck.” One of the biggest “strokes of luck” was provided by Marcin and Magda, who signed – when no one else would – the legal guarantee required by Polish law that should they have to move, the Ukrainians have a place to go. Marcin and Magda will keep up the “Liliowa connections,” and we intend to continue helping as needed.
Thanks to people like Marcin, Magda, Stefanie, Anna, Lukasz and many others, there is hope that Ukrainians will have no reason to think they have been forgotten. They offer proof that “Many small people in many small places, doing many small things can change the face of the earth.”
If you would like to donate to the Ukrainian relief project, please make out a check to Refugee Support or First Church in Jaffrey (write Refugee Support in the memo line). Mail to First Church in Jaffrey, P.O. Box 673, Jaffrey, NH 03452.
Ilona Kwiecien is a Jaffrey resident whose parents were Polish refugees after World War II. Her last Army assignment before retiring in 1998 was as Army attaché in Kyiv for 2 1/2 years. She arrived in Poland March 21, 2022, to help refugees displaced by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and has returned multiple times since then.