Caritas Polska is a large Church-related association that has been particularly active for the last three weeks when it comes to helping refugees arriving from Ukraine.

This non-profit organisation has sent 150 lorries and 100 buses to Ukraine with aid worth a total of about PLN 40 million (GBP 7,15 million). The latter included food, water, hygiene products, dressings and disinfectants, household chemicals, clothing, footwear, and sleeping bags among other things. 

Furthermore, Caritas Polska is about to transfer about PLN 26 million (GBP 4,65 million) to different parishes for financial aid for refugees and prepared 2.5 thousand places for disabled children from Ukraine.

It also organized so-called “Tents of Hope” at several border crossings, where volunteers help by providing a hot meal, sandwiches, sweets, emotional support, placement of refugees, information etc. 

Hundreds of nuns also got involved in this great wave of solidarity by providing spiritual, psychological, medical and material help to Ukrainian refugees, according to the Conference of Superiors of Female Religious Congregations in Poland. 

It is estimated that nearly 20,000 benefited from their help across Poland. The accommodation has been arranged in 500 religious houses in Poland and 76 houses in Ukraine. 

Over 3,000 children and nearly 3,000 adults have already received refuge there. More than 600 places for orphans were also prepared.
It is worth underlining that the examples mentioned above are only a small part of the help provided by the Church for the victims of the war.

Image: Caritas Polska

 Author: Sébastien Meuwissen