Category: Ukraine

  • Power of Language

    Today we volunteers enjoyed a fairly peaceful time at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. We had only about 16 kids register into the safe space over the course of the day. So with three volunteers staffed, the proportion works out…

  • Puzzling Pieces

    Today was a relatively calm and quiet day at at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in , Poland. By mid-afternoon most of the kids had left for the day. I think a shuttle bus transported a group of families away in the early…

  • Commiseration

    Today was a tough day for us volunteers at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. We had almost 50 Ukrainian kids registered in (close to 40 at once at one point during the morning), ranging in age from less than 1…

  • Clowning Around

    Today was a busy day at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. We had about two dozen Ukrainian kids registered in, ranging in age from about 1 year to about 15 years. A group of older kids had a fun time…

  • Bicycle Rider

    Today, Monday, was my eleventh day volunteering at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. A high point for the day for me was watching the entire process of a young boy learning to ride a bicycle. Maybe it’s the first bicycle…

  • Proud Pole

    I was chatting with one of the other volunteers at the the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. She is Polish and she has a 16-year old son. She said she thinks her son will probably leave Poland for university and may…

  • A Tale of Two Days

    Yesterday, Friday, was my eigth day volunteering at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. I feel it was the first really tough day. I suppose the feeling is mostly psychological, because only about a dozen kids registered in, and a most…

  • Little Innocents

    Last night a couple of the other volunteers and I went to see a film at a local cinema here in Przemyśl. It’s an old theatre in a big stone building, with a huge (six inches thick), creaky wooden door that reminds me of a castle gate. The cavernous theatre also has a squeaky floor…

  • Little Gray Land Rover

    Today, Wednesday, was my sixth day volunteering at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. When we arrived in the morning, the center was very quiet and there were no kids waiting for us. We spent a couple of hours vacuuming, cleaning…

  • Fries in Disguise

    Today, Monday, was my fourth day volunteering at the Ocalenie Foundation safe space for children in the Ukrainian Refugee Reception Point / Humanitarian Aid Center in Przemyśl, Poland. Only six kids registered into the safe space today. There were three volunteers, so we volunteers were able to interact closely with each of the kids, and…

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