Support Volunteers on the Ukraine-Poland Border

As Ukrainian refugees flee to safety in Poland, countless local and international grassroots volunteers have heroically dedicated themselves to providing assistance to those making the journey to safety. Healthy volunteers are essential to the millions of vulnerable people fleeing Ukraine, but these volunteers are experiencing a critical lack of resources and support. One of our team on the ground at the Medyka crossing has reported that volunteers are burning out from the intensity of the situation, the subzero temperatures, and the lack of places to take breaks and to sleep.

 

 

 

Initially, our team at to.org hopes to raise CHF200,000 to support those who have left their families to provide comfort and support to Ukrainian refugees. We will ensure that they have warm clothing, nutritious food, and nearby places to rest and regenerate, so they can provide the very best care and support for exhausted and vulnerable refugees entering Poland.

 

 

 

We are working with fully background-checked grassroots organizations, as well as with larger humanitarian organizations with whom we have existing partnerships. All funds raised will be distributed 50/50 between established entities and ad hoc volunteers who were first on the ground and whose efforts continue to be critical. Immediate needs we intend to support include:

- Emergency evacuation vehicles (CHF10-15k per vehicle + petrol)
- Volunteer housing and meals (CHF500/month per volunteer),
- Infrastructure projects to establish warmth, lighting, signposting, etc.

 

 

Since we started working with refugees in 2017, we have seen how local knowledge is the most critical resource in supporting displaced populations. In long-established refugee settlements we work with refugees - no one understands better how to support and uplift their communities in the most effective ways. But in a rapidly shifting crisis, such as this one, there are no refugee community leaders to help guide the response. Instead, people are moving quickly through entry-point reception centres on their journey to safety. Here, local volunteers are indispensable for building a nimble and effective response that makes the transition from Ukraine to Poland (and beyond) as smooth and painless as possible.

 

Photo by Gustaf Lundberg Toresson IG: @gltore

We all know that those fleeing their homes face an uphill struggle to reestablish their lives in new countries, to restart careers and education, and to find new communities of friends. By ensuring the mental and physical wellbeing of volunteers who are their first point of contact, we can help reduce the trauma and ease the burden of transition for the millions fleeing Ukraine.