As more refugees come into Poland, it’s a shift change for volunteers from Texas.
Many Baptist churches throughout this country have converted their places of worship into shelters for people fleeing Ukraine, but not all refugees are staying in shelters, some are staying in homes with Polish families.
In a small three-bedroom walk-up apartment in Bailystok, Poland, children play. Some who are Polish, and some who are Ukrainian.
Ania, her husband, her three children and their dog Wally, welcomed five Ukrainian refugees.
“I can’t imagine being in their situation. To pack one bag and go.” said Ania, who lives in Poland.
When asked what compelled her to get involved, Ania says it’s their duty to help others.
“We can’t stop Putin. We can’t stop war, but we can help people,” she said.
Warwar (pronounced VUH-VARDA), her husband, and three children fled Ukraine days after Russia invaded, leaving behind their family, new home and their beloved family cat, Candy.
“The first thing that made them worried was when they could see Russian Army planes, flying low and threatening,” said Marzena Snarska, a translator.
Snarska, along with Simona Dimtruk helped translate from English to Polish and to Polish to Ukrainian.
“They hope they have the possibility to come back home.” Snarska said. “They understand it is not going to be easy, but Ukraine, will be Ukraine… anyway, they have this hope to come back.
An hour away, at a children’s camp in Narewka, Poland, a rural area about 20 miles west of Belarus, refugees find temporary shelter.
A bunkroom would have six beds, and across the hall a room was found with a total of nine sleeping beds. Altogether, the cottage can sleep 61 people.
Anna, her two-year-old son and another family abandoned their home near Kyiv.
“The area where they lived is where there are Army storages and places where the Army stays, and because of that, this area was bombed and at some point they decided the citizens are in danger,” said Snarska, who translated for the families. “They said if this was only about tanks and Army and land Army going there, they would not be afraid, they would stay there.”
Snarska says the families hope to go home as soon as possible, and they don’t think about going abroad any further, which stands true for many Ukrainians.
