Dear Friends:

We are grateful for your willingness to come to Poland in order to help the Ukrainian people who have found refuge in our country.

ABOUT US

Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, our mission has been to offer Ukrainian refugees a safe place to live while providing the best possible and most humane conditions.

We offer support to all refugees, with women and children of limited financial means making up the largest proportion of our guests.

We provide closed rooms with three nutritious meals a day as well as medical care which has been possible through the collaboration of doctors from various countries.

WHAT WE WOULD NEED YOU TO DO

1. For children: organize fun activities and play with them, take them for short walks (many of our centers are located in a beautiful area nestled among mountains.)

2. For elderly people: take them for short walks, help them comb and wash their hair, iron their clothes, fold and order their things in the closet.

3. Various simple services: help in cleaning and/or renovating our reception centers, help in sorting gifts (clothes for women, for children, etc.), check expiry dates of food products, put things in separate boxes, mow the lawn, help assembling furniture, prepare rooms for new guests (clean, put in fresh towels, etc.)

4. Language lessons (Polish, English, French, Spanish, etc.):
simple activities to teach some useful expressions and basic vocabulary in your native language (or a different language which you know well); you could use photos, songs, videos to make it fun for the people.

5. Look around you and take the initiative! Discover the needs and see how you can help.

CONDITIONS

Most of our 24-hour reception centers are tourist-standard hotels. Volunteers are provided with a place to sleep and meals.

You will be assigned to locations where you are most needed.  Your group may be split up according to the needs of the refugees under our care.

TRANSPORT

Most of our centers are about two hours’ drive from Przemyśl. This is a mountainous area, many roads are narrow, public transport is not an option. We provide transport among our centers.

The closest airport is Rzeszów Jasionka (about an hour’s drive from Przemyśl.) Another one is Kraków Balice (about two hour’s drive from Przemyśl.) There are trains to Przemyśl from both Rzeszów and Kraków. Let us know if you need transport from and/or to the airport.

YOUR APPLICATION

Please send us an email entitled “Volunteering” to the following address: biuro@pfcf.pl

It may be obvious but when you travel, we suggest that you make a copy of your passport page with your photo and all the identifying information in case you misplace or lose your documents.

While in Poland, make sure that you always carry some proof of identity with you: an ID card or some other document with a photo.

It is very important to understand that the situation is constantly changing. Our plans may be challenged every day. We all need to be flexible in order to serve as best we can.

Our hearts are full of gratitude for every day of your service to the Ukrainian people under our care. Thank you for your readiness to leave your comfort zone and to travel to Poland to help those who are in need.

We look forward to meeting you!

Fr. Marek Machała
President of the Pastoral Family Care Foundation
Archdiocesan Chaplain of Migrants
Archdiocese of Przemyśl, Poland