The kindness of strangers on Poland’s border

The war in the Ukraine has resulted in many having to flee taking only what they can carry, but thanks to the kindness of strangers along Poland’s border many are able to collect goods that have been left for them.

The majority of Ukrainians who have fled the fighting have headed for Poland on a journey that can take days, with smaller numbers having made their way to Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia.

Most arrive with very little, tired and exhausted.

Polish communities have however rushed to help them in a show of charity not seen in many years, with strangers offering everything from accommodation to basic necessities in a place that may not feel anything like home.

The kindness knows no bounds

Ukrainians arriving on the platform at the Przemyśl station are greeted with shopping carts filled with every essential imaginable, from diapers to toys to walkers for the elderly. There are even prams, toys and mountains of clothing from which the weary travellers can help themselves.

Volunteers speaking to CNN, said the amount of donations received from people in Poland was overwhelming. The enormous generosity appears to be spread largely by word of mouth.

Donations have not only been left at Przemyśl, the first train stop for refugees who enter Poland via the Medyka border crossing, but also for those who have walked into the country.

Who are the strangers?

With the effort largely unorganised the locals dropping off items are generally not known nor do they look for publicity, instead choosing to help through the goodness of their own heart.

The volunteer effort is starting to become more organised as dozens in yellow vests help the refugees in any way they can. Volunteers are arriving from all over the world to help in the effort, and to assist aid agencies working in the area.

Diapers, baby wipes and food items fill a room inside the Przemyśl train station.

And help isn’t just available in the form of physical supplies — some people have been holding up signs, offering rides to different places across Europe and volunteers are helping refugees find a place to stay — be it a school gymnasium or families who have offered to take in women and children.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has once again appealed for monetary donations to buy essential medicines and to provide transport for those fleeing the conflict. Speaking about the enormous generosity of the people of Poland, he said: “What we fear is a second wave of persons who have a good deal less resources and connections and who will be much more vulnerable.”

The kindness of the strangers donating and volunteering on Poland’s border is in stark contrast to the UK government’s efforts to limit the number of refugees, as it is to their efforts to make applying all the more difficult.

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