Collaboration in Poland…

Now that Dana and I are in North Carolina and have internet coverage, I’m able to update you on the happenings in Poland. The community center has been open for one month, and many services are at full capacity. The opening was so successful that the registration was already at 80% of capacity. After two weeks, they were at 100% capacity serving 60-70 families. However, there were an additional 30-40 Ukrainian families that couldn’t be served because more capacity was needed.

Olga, founder, and president of the board of KDU was approached by another organization, Let’s Help Together Foundation, to offer psychotherapy services to Ukraine women and children. Very quickly the two groups came together and are now serving more Ukrainians. Here is the update from the Ukraine Relief Initiative on the progress of the collaboration between KDU and the Let’s Help Together Foundation:

Świetlica DębnikiI Community Centre Is open daily, and the team is working incredibly hard despite the heat In Kraków. Some highlights:

• We have completed the preparation of the space of the Psychotherapy Center together with our friends from the Fundacja Let’s Help Together Foundation. The Center starts next Monday! We already have our first patients.
• We received a public (government) grant for ZLTY 70k ($15k USD) to support the activities of Świetlica Dębniki Community Center. This will not only enable us to do more work, but it’s an endorsement of the effectiveness and credibility of our dedicated team, Krakowskie Dębniki dla Ukrainy
• Five people applied for a Scilla Elworthy Integra Foundation Scholarship with our recommendation, and perhaps there will be more. The scholarship assumes the performance of socially useful works or involvement in the life of the local community. So, we are waiting impatiently for the results; with the approval of the scholarship, not only will particular refugees receive support, but also our Center will have new teachers/workshop leaders. Wish them (and us) luck!
• We opened an additional language course. For KIDS! 12 kids attended the group.
• Everything for the one-week film summer semi-camp for teens is ready! We are starting next Monday. Hurray!

We are grateful for the constant support from our network.

Thank you for helping us to relieve the crisis NOW!

The needs of the Ukrainian people are changing. The immediate need after the war started was to flee the deadly attacks of the Russians. Housing and medical help were urgent and the immediate needs. Many volunteers jumped in to help with no clear direction other than the short-term care of Ukrainians. But now, there are hundreds of organized groups and foundations to help with the long-term resettlement of our Ukrainian friends.

With the long-term in mind and the collaboration of the Ukrainian Relief Initiative, along with KDU, the community center was born. The needs continue to grow for the Ukrainians to start a new life. Finding jobs, psychotherapy, and learning the language of their new country are now the urgent needs. The Polish classes at the community center are full, and therapy sessions are also full. These Ukrainians, women and children alike have the trauma of war, and leaving their husbands, dads, brothers, their homeland, and starting over in another country is unfathomable. One-on-one and group psychotherapy will help them come to terms with their trauma and help them heal. And of course, learning the language will help them communicate and connect with their new friends and find jobs to support their families.

Collaborating with The Let’s Help Together Foundation will allow us to serve an additional 200-300 Ukrainians that desperately need therapy. Here are a couple of videos of the new psychotherapy space. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6owDfuhCRU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i129TQ9Sxs. There are five rooms for one-on-one therapy and two rooms for group therapy. We welcome the help of The Let’s Help Together Foundation so we can meet Ukrainian needs as they start their new lives.

As you can see, the needs continue to grow. Thank you for your donations and humanitarian support. If the current needs speak to you, will you consider another gift for our Ukrainian friends? Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…I have no words…just love for you all! Thank you. Be positive and stay safe! #supportukraine

Freedom is possible!

 

Much love,
Cindy and Dana

 

HOW TO MAKE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UKRAINIAN RELIEF INITIATIVE
All contributions are fully tax-deductible through HCC, our registered 501(c)(3) passthrough charity.

TO CONTRIBUTE BY CHECK:
Make your check payable to **Hispanic Community Council** – (VERY IMPORTANT: not to Ukraine Relief Initiative) and send it to the following address:

HCC – URI
c/o John Kersey
208 Liberty Street
Warren, PA 16365

Please indicate “Ukrainian Relief Initiative” in the check memo and include a note with your contact info (address, phone, email).

TO CONTRIBUTE ELECTRONICALLY BY PAYPAL:
Use this link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WMYJHS9UVMWY2. PayPal goes through the “Hispanic Community Council,” our 501(c)3 passthrough organization.
In the memo, please include your name, address, phone #, and email so we can process your tax receipt.