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Friday, March 29, 2024

A Day in the Life of a Refugee Center: Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, Poland

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to understand the plight, the path, and the perspectives of refugees and their experiences around the world.  The Internationaler Bund Polska Foundation, Centrum Wielokulturowe w Krakowie is one of the most active refugee centers in Poland and is currently helping some of the 3 million Ukrainians that fled the Russian invasion.

The Polish people immediately started helping, it was a great social movement that made everyone want to get involved. Many centers were created where refugees from Ukraine could receive help. A huge group of volunteers formed to aid the refugees and continue to feed, shelter, clothe, and assist.

A Day in the Life of a Refugee Center: Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, Poland Homeland Security Today
Volunteers at Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków Photo courtesy of Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków

One of the organizations helping refugees from Ukraine is the  Internationaler Bund Polska Foundation.

The Internationaler Bund Polska Foundation has been actively helping refugees from Ukraine since the beginning of the war. We conduct our activities as part of the Multicultural Centre, of which we are operators, together with partners, since March 2021. Our Information Point for Foreigners operates as part of the Centre.

we have helped over 79,000 people

Since the beginning of the war, we have been running 3 locations in Krakow with the help of:

  • SZAFA DOBRA (Good wardrobe) – clothes, shoes;
  • a warehouse with basic medications (at the moment location moved to a warehouse with food, al. Daszyńskiego 16);
  • warehouse with food, cosmetics, household chemicals, and things for sleeping (sleeping bags, blankets, mats, bedsheets);

We provide:

  • general counselling (Information Point for Foreigners), 6 days a week, 10 hours each from 9.00 to 19.00;
  • legal counselling, 5 days a week, 5 hours a day;
  • coordination of the work of volunteers supporting organizations and institutions operating in Krakow (base of almost 9,000 people).

So far (till the beginning of May 2022) we have distributed:

  • 250,000 items of various assortment (food, cosmetics, cleaning products, sleeping items, etc.) for over 23,000 people
  • 300,000 clothes and shoes for almost 42,000 people in the SZAFA DOBRA (GOOD
    WARDROBE)
  • 27,000 medicines (packages) for over 5500 people

Moreover, we helped 8,500 people at the Information Point for Foreigners.

In total, we have helped over 79,000 people.

Our activities have already been supported by many wonderful people, organizations and sponsors, but we still have great needs. For Szafa Dobra we urgently need spring and summer clothes, underwear and shoes.

  • hygiene: shampoos and hair conditioners, toothbrushes and toothpastes, deodorants, hand and face creams, pads.
  • cosmetics for children: creams, gels, talcum, wet wipes.
  • food (except for the things we keep in the refrigerator). We o accept e.g. sauces, oil, milk, coffee, buckwheat, canned fish, meat, oatmeal, etc.
  • bed linen (duvets, pillowcases, pillows, sheets), towels, blankets.
  • diapers 4,5,6.

We will be grateful for any material and/or financial help that will support the refugees from Ukraine.Everyone can donate to enable us to provide daily support to those who have fled the war.

we urgently need spring and summer clothes, underwear and shoes.

A Day in the Life of a Refugee Center: Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, Poland Homeland Security Today
Volunteer sorting donations for Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków Photo courtesy of Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donate via direct bank transfer:
Transfers from abroad: PL 32 1240 4650 1978 0000 5151 6783 PKOPPLPW
Transfers from Poland: BANK Pekao S.A .: 41124046501111000051601681

Bank transfer title: donation for public benefit purposes as per the foundation’s statute – help for Ukraine

Moreover we really need volunteers at our refugee support points. Especially for Szafa Dobra (warehouse with clothes for refugees).

How to become our volunteer?

  1. Fill out the volunteer form  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMK-NVlxvj4M-kLXN7FAIzCRahRmr-5vsistZP2eV2Nxl7uA/viewform
  2. Go to the schedule, read the “Info” sheet, select the sheet with the location you are interested in and enter your name and surname for the selected shift. Note that some positions require knowledge of e.g. Ukrainian or Russian. Schedule – you can sign herehttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AwiFNqGgGA29ycdsD3lQUKoMdDS43EhsGpB8uNk2ufQ/edit#gid=647155985

WARNING! We do not send confirmation by e-mail. If you have signed in for a shift – just come. We send e-mails only in the event of sudden changes.To stay in touch with us – follow our Facebook group, where we publish daily information about new needs related to volunteering in Krakow.

FB group link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/475118210908519

Locations and tasks where you can help:

SZAFA DOBRA al. Pokoju 44

Place where we collect, sort and handout clothes and shoes. Free clothing store for the refugees. Volunteers’ tasks include:

  • Managing the queue, checking the documents and registering the refugees.
  • Receiving the clothes deliveries. Sorting the clothes by gender, type, size of clothes, age groups in case of children’s clothes.
  • Restocking the shelves. Assisting at the fitting rooms and at the kids’ corner.

Warehouse at al. Daszyńskiego 16

Place where we collect donations of food, hygiene items, bedding, over the counter medication, etc., as well as, where these items are handed out to refugees. Volunteers’ tasks include:

  • Sorting the donations, stacking them on shelves, handing out the goods, checking the documents and registration of the refugees who arrive to that location

A Day in the Life of a Refugee Center: Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, Poland Homeland Security Today
Agnieszka Skibińska
Agnieszka Skibińska studied Biotechnologia at Uniwersytet Jagielloński and is the volunteer coordinator for Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, the primary non-profit organization assisting refugees from Ukraine in Krakow, Poland.
Agnieszka Skibińska
Agnieszka Skibińska
Agnieszka Skibińska studied Biotechnologia at Uniwersytet Jagielloński and is the volunteer coordinator for Wolontariusze Ukraina CW Kraków, the primary non-profit organization assisting refugees from Ukraine in Krakow, Poland.

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