Help Ukrainians in Katowice, Poland

Hello. My name is Anya and I am Ukrainian.

Like many Ukrainians living abroad, I have been working to help the Ukrainian cause and supporting those who have been displaced or impacted by the Russian invasion. Poland has taken in more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, and local communities are doing their best to support them by providing basic necessities like food, shelter and daily essentials. 

Local communities across Poland have set up Support Centres to provide these necessities for free to Ukrainian refugees. My aunt and 87-year old great aunt are among the Ukrainian refugees that are currently relying on these support networks, alongside over 1,000 other Ukrainian refugees in the Katowice area.

I am going to Katowice, Poland on May 12 and am raising funds to provide humanitarian aid for Ukrainians in the region. I spent the month of April in Katowice, volunteering and providing aid and have seen how much of an impact these support centres have had for the community of displaced Ukrainians.

I will use the funds to provide supplies to these support centres, purchasing groceries and other basic necessities:

◉ Katowice train station
◉ Wojkowice centre  (where my in-laws live. The village is hosing approximately 200 Ukrainians) 
◉ Katowice centre  (providing supplies to ~600 individuals daily) 
◉ Gdansk centre 
◉ Katowice for Ukraine  Facebook page (i.e. obtaining medicine, household items, etc.)

In Poland, £160 ($200) buys a whole shopping trolley of groceries, enough to supply 5-7 families with daily produce. With £3,000 we can provide a whole month of groceries for ~15 families. (Picturebelow are from my April 2022 trip).

In most instances, people fled with nothing but documents. My family is not an exception. They too are scattered around Ukraine and Poland, seeking refuge. There is no certainty when they can return and for how long such support centres will need to operate. 

Please spread the word. I will upload pictures and receipts of where I’ve spent the money on this page, to thank everyone for their support. This will be an active fundraiser until the end of the war. I will continue to pass the funds along to the community in Poland to deliver the most essential aid. 

Thank you! Dya-koo-you (thank you in Ukrainian)!

Anya Yablonska
London, UK