Dana and I, along with four friends, are off to Africa. We are going on a self-driving trip in Namibia and birding in South Africa and will be gone for five weeks. We’re super excited!
We are ready for our trip to Africa!
What luggage?!?
Even though we will be out of the country, my team will continue to send updates on our progress in Kraków because the work of URI and KDU never stops. And if you wish to follow the journey with Ukraine Relief Initiative, the weekly newsletters from the beginning of our Ukraine efforts are in the process of being uploaded to my website, https://cindyhenson.online/blog/.
This Świetlica Dębniki Community Center has gone from a vision to a very successful reality. It is in use 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing drop-in daycare (250 different children a month), basic and advanced Polish and English classes, teen hangout, a food pantry, an emergency clothing closet, community activities (hikes and yoga) and much more.
The same team has then expanded to support a war-trauma psychology center, serving hundreds of children and adults per month with individual and group therapy. They have also started a school for displaced Ukrainian children, currently with 90 kids and on its way to 160 kids.
This center has succeeded beyond our hopes and is gaining significant recognition from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the city of Kraków, and the Polish government leaders for its impact.
KDU leadership team, (L to R) Olga Lany, Olga Piasecka Nieć, Łucja Malec-Kornajew.
Dana and I are returning to Poland in December to meet with the URI and KDU leadership teams to discuss and make plans to create sustainability at the current level over the next year or so. Please consider donating if you would like to help our efforts in Poland. Or, if you’d like to join our boots-on-the-ground efforts to work side-by-side with the URI and KDU team, please contact me at https://cindyhenson.online/cindy-contact/. For those of you who have contributed, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please share our message with your circle of friends. URI + KDU: “1 + 1 = 1,000”
“Relieve the crisis. Thoughtfully. With Discipline and heart. Now.”
Thank you for your continued interest in our travel adventures and your compassion and support in the Ukraine relief efforts. I have no words to express my love. Thank you for being in my circle of light. Hope for peace for Ukraine and the world! Be positive and stay safe.
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/
In the memo, please include your name, address, phone #, and email so we can process your tax receipt.