Kind Heart: Ukrainian Refugee Aid

Dear friends, relatives, neighbors and colleagues,

 

I think we have all felt a mix of horror, dismay, and helplessness reading and watching the suffering of refugees in Ukraine. My heart aches , thinking about the children and their families fleeing Ukraine without a safe place to sleep.

 

Krakow, Poland, is a significant refugee reception site. A US-based organization, Type of Wood Charities, transports refugees from the Ukraine/Poland border to Krakow in Medyka, Poland. You can read more about their work and see videos via YouTube and Facebook links at https://www.typeofwood.org.

 

On April 7th, I'll arrive in Krakow, Poland, to volunteer with them.

 

What has moved me to do this?

 

Auschwitz is about an hour west of Krakow, and Schindler's factory is in Krakow. I have often thought about how horrible it must have been to be suffering, thinking the rest of the world doesn't care about your suffering, and no one is coming to help. And how many lives were saved because ordinary people decided they would stick their necks out to help and protect.

And there is another piece - my thought that old men have the opportunity to be explorers, adventurers, and generous.  I read somewhere that the secret to jumping a horse over a fence was to throw your heart over the fence first, and then the horse follows.  It is easy to feel despair and helplessness in the face of problems that seem too large to be influenced by one person’s actions.  Inspired by my neighbor John's example, I decided to do this.  Covid, uncertainty, expense involved - there are things that are more important and sometimes the too careful man is the insufficient man

 

I've rented a van and expect I will be driving suitcases and supplies from there to Medyka, Poland, on the Ukraine border and bring people to safety on the return.

 

I've set up a GoFundMe campaign to benefit Type of Wood Charities. Dana and I are paying all my expenses, and 100 % of your donation will help the refugees and Type of Wood Charities.

 

You can donate directly to Type of Wood Charities on their website. https://www.typeofwood.org. I prefer you donate through the GoFundMe campaign so I can keep track of how much my efforts generate. Both ways of contributing are tax-deductible.

 

Type of Wood Charities requires that volunteers obtain a van and be self-funded to volunteer with them. They provide coordination between volunteers, refugee centers, interpreters, and navigation around Poland. They try to pair male drivers with female navigators and interpreters, when possible, to help families feel more safe and secure. They also fund supplies, including suitcases, food, and other necessities.

 

I will keep you informed of how your donations are helping and what I'm seeing and doing via a blog whose address I will share in an email shortly..

 

Thank you for your generosity, compassion, and willingness to join  my efforts to benefit Ukrainian refugees.