It is our duty and mission to show compassion in times like these. Because in the YMCA nobody is left behind. The value of care is our core principle, ingrained in who we are as a movement!
We are impressed by the efforts of the YMCA Frankfurt (Oder), by its staff and volunteers, supporting those in need in Ukraine. Many thanks and blessings!
"We already had two aid transports, both from Frankfurt (Oder) at the German-Polish border to the checkpoint Korczowa – Krakovets at the Polish-Ukrainian border.
There we met volunteers from Ukraine, who collected our goods and brought them first to Lviv, from where they were distributed to different Ukrainian cities, but mainly to Kharkiv.
We passed the Polish border control, so actually we were on Ukrainian territory, but didn't enter Ukraine officially. So the handing over took place in a kind of neutral zone.
During the second tour we transported mainly medicine worth 52.000 € donated by the hospital here in Frankfurt (Oder) where I work.
On the way back to Frankfurt we offered our free places to refugees. Most of them were heading somewhere in Poland, so we let them out in Krakow or Wroclaw. But one mother with her daughter didn't have any goal, so we took them to Frankfurt and now they live in our YMCA-house.
Besides the aid transports we also organize a contact-cafe for Ukrainian refugees once a week, where they can get together. To this contact-cafe came two Ukrainian teachers who are now organizing school lessons for the teenagers in biology, chemistry and german."
Said Gustav Lietz, Volunteer at YMCA/CVJM Frankfurt (Oder)