Poles, without any hesitation, opened not only their hearts, but also their homes. The Seventh-day Adventist Church also offered its help. The community of about 6,000 in Poland has prepared over 1,200 places on church properties and in private homes. So far, almost 400 people have benefited from the assistance.
The Adventist relief organizations are also involved. ADRA Poland volunteers visited several border and reception crossings. They handed out parcels and organized accommodations while learning about the most urgent needs of people fleeing the war. ADRA has also started preparing "Start Packages" - a set of basic personal hygiene items for people crossing the border. It is also involved in humanitarian transport to Ukraine.
The Christian Charity Service "Blisko Serca” (eng. Close to the Heart) has allocated two of its centers to receive refugees from Ukraine. Both "Orion" in Wisła and "Polubie" in Zatonie (near Drawsko Pomorskie) are ready to host over 70 people in total.
The College of Theology and Humanities in Podkowa Leśna has already welcomed over 30 people. Further buildings and premises are planned to be made available to increase the number of people who can find shelter. A kindergarten for refugee children will be opened on campus in the coming days, operated by volunteers from the local church.
The youngest are also not indifferent. The Adventist Scouting Association (ZHA) and the Pathfinders hosted organized charity collections all over Poland. The response was huge. Sleeping bags, sleeping mats, blankets, pillows, duvets, hygiene products, long-term food, flashlights, batteries, diapers, medicines, medical aids, and heating stoves are already on their way. The donations were sent to the western part of Ukraine, a destination to which the inhabitants of the eastern part of the country are currently migrating.
The president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland, Pastor Ryszard Jankowski, also visited the border. Together with Pastor Tomasz Żelazko, Jankowski visited one of the border crossings and, on their way back to Warsaw, they offered a lift to a group of refugees.
“It is impossible to describe the scale of activities that are carried out not only by the Adventist Church, through its institutions, but above all by individual members of the community and local churches,” said Daniel Kluska, communication director of the Adventist Church in Poland. “Many local churches have paused organizing Sabbath services while their premises currently serve as accommodations. A lot of people sacrifice not only their finances but, most of all, open their own homes and welcome those in need.”
After 9 days of war in Ukraine, over 1 million refugees have already fled the country, and almost 650,000 of them came to Poland. The numbers are growing every day. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirms that this is the largest exodus of this century.
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