The River’s Peace Correspondents, Annette and Dean Cycon of Leverett, catch up with Monte at the airport in Poland and reflect on their weeks assisting refugees from Ukraine. Listen to their conversation and check out the links below.
https://soundcloud.com/939theriver-1/the-cycons-peace-correspondents-reflect-on-their-time-in-poland?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
– We sent over 200 hand and foot warmers to Ukrainian soldiers fighting in freezing temps on the front.
-We bought a passenger van for a Ukrainian man who is risking his life transporting people overnight amid shelling from cities in Ukraine to safety on the Polish border. Until then he was using his own money to rent a van every night.
– With the help of our Polish friend, Kasia Sokol and her daughter Yulia, we bought 5,000 zloty worth of suitcases, backpacks and sleeping bags to the huge Tesco refugee center in Medyka on the border.
-We gave $1,000 to the Mothers & Womens tent 200 ft from the border for women in desperate need of a compassionate woman’s presence and essential hygiene and baby supplies as well as a private place to change and nurse their babies.
– We bought at least 500 pairs of girl’s, boy’s and womens underwear and socks. When you’re running for your life you forget an extra pair of undies.
-We bought writing and drawing pads, pens, pencils, crayons for children and adults to express themselves, as well as toys for children in refugee centers.
-We gave away at least 100 envelopes with the equivalent of $100 in each to individual mothers on train platforms, shelters and the border to help them on their way.
– We secured short term housing for elderly refugees who are in desperate need of a warm, dry, safe comfortable place to sleep, get free meals, recieve medical care and help with relocating somewhere in Europe.
-And we also secured temporary housing for up 120 refugees in one beautiful place where they get 3 meals and also have access to the social services they need. These are mostly Roma women and children refugees who have been severely discriminated against in this crisis.
Unfortunately this war is not ending. Putin is still destroying cities, towns and villages. People are still grieving loved ones, traumatized and fleeing for their lives. So the need for emergency housing is still going to be great, as the flood of refugees continues.
As we promised, we are working with local, grassroots organizations who know the needs of their communities best.
They are SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE!
Please continue to join this Gofundme campaign to keep this powerful expression of humanity and compassion going!
Thanks,
Annette & Dean Cycon
