On this Monday afternoon, the first day of the fundraiser, the call to donate goods is immediately answered. While a dozen volunteers – mostly students – check and sort the stuff, packed cars and pedestrians with well-filled bags come and go.
Some bring items that were unused in the attic or garage, others went to do special purchases. “We also donate to Giro 555, but it is more tangible if your goods go directly to the refugees,” says a UM employee, while she and her son and daughter load bags full of groceries from the trunk. “The children also bought things with their savings, which they thought was very important.”
Polish student Alexander van Vugt (Bachelor of International Business), who set up the campaign together with compatriot Filip Radzikowski, was positively surprised by the turnout. “By the way, also thanks to the help from the Russian community. They want to contribute, maybe because they feel bad about the whole situation.” Moreover, the campaign seems to be widely taken up: in addition to students, employees and alumni, people without a direct connection with UM also bring goods.
According to Van Vugt, there is currently a particular need for warm blankets (to be used at low temperatures), baby food, diapers and powder, directly consumable food (such as cereal bars) and medical products (bandages, first aid kits). There is no need for clothes and toys.
Connections
The dire situation in Poland, where more than one million Ukrainian refugees currently reside, made it difficult for the two initiators to sit still. “The stories of friends and family at home do not leave you untouched,” says Van Vugt. “In addition, some Ukrainian friends I grew up with left to fight for their country. That does make you think. It feels wrong to do nothing at all.”
With their connections in Poland, the two hope to make a difference. Through the family business of one of them, the collected goods will be taken to the Polish capital Warsaw. A local intermediary then arranges for distribution at various border crossings and possibly further into Ukraine, “to the places where the help is most needed at that time”, according to Van Vugt. “That can also be in smaller cities, which larger aid organizations sometimes pay less attention to.”
How long will they keep doing that? “As long as it is necessary. Although we are now looking for organizations that can take over part of the logistics from us, so that we will also have some time left over for our studies in the near future.”