Since Returning Home

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After returning home without my Mum I told everyone I could about my experience.

Our club hosted our Bespiced cooking experience that evening and I shared briefly, with our guests, what I had been up to.

The following morning I was contacted by a Rotarian that had been at the cooking event. He and six other families from his club had signed up to sponsor Ukraine people in their homes. However they were unable to contact or find families to sponsor. Within a few hours I had contacted the centre in Poland and we were ready to match families. How to do this has now been sent out to all Rotarians in the UK and we are helping to match families daily.

I know that my Mum is coming home but I know that she is also going back to Poland to help for as long as she can. So once again we have been making educational resources ready for her to take them back.

After being at the centre I know that there is now a need for things that we might not have been aware of before:

  • suitcases or good quality shopping bags to carry their belongings - some are in carrier bags

  • blow up balls - yes you did read that right. The children just want to play unfortunately they are not very accurate within the confines of the centre so these will not hurt those adults sitting around chatting.

  • colouring books and crayons - they don’t require a sharpener, they will keep the children entertained for ages and they don’t take up too much room in their belongings

  • face paints - this allows the children to have a bit of fun and a bit of normal.

There are other things that are needed but these are things that we can get hold of quickly and get them back to Poland in our checked luggage.

Mum did come home for a few days to recharge her batteries and pick up the supplies that we had made or collected.

At the moment we have raised £435 through the badges and donations and we have secured a district grant for £2000. This is going to be spent on getting people to their temporary homes as all of the Ukraine’s that I spoke to want to go back home they have no intention of staying where they are going to. Having my Mum on the ground also means that we will know exactly what is needed and get it to them quickly.

This is not the end of our journey as I am already preparing for my return trip that will happen when my passport comes back.