'This is all about unity' - Communities rally to gather aid for people in Ukraine

Joanna Arcaba-Tomasik and her husband Frankie at the Ballycureen Industrial Estate in Cork packing up medical supplies and essential items which have been donated to the My Cork Polish Association and the Polish Scouts to be shipped to the Poland/Ukraine border. Photo: Dan Linehan

Communities across Ireland have mobilised on a massive scale to help the people of Ukraine with one of the first convoys of humanitarian aid due to ship out from Cork on Tuesday.

Members of the Polish community in Munster, many with links to the Irish scouting movement, hope to dispatch over a dozen carloads of sleeping bags, thermal blankets, hot food flasks, and medical and sanitary supplies from a warehouse at the Ballycurreen Industrial Estate in Cork to Gorajec on the Poland/Ukraine border, where thousands of refugees have crossed from the Ukrainian city of Lviv since the Russian invasion began last week.

Mia Skowron, the secretary of the MyCork Polish Association, and chief scout of Polish Scouting, said for Ireland’s Polish community the humanitarian effort is deeply personal.

Joanna Arcaba-Tomasik and her husband Frankie packing up children's products to be shipped to the Poland/Ukraine border. For Ireland’s Polish community the humanitarian effort is deeply personal. Photo: Dan Linehan

“Poland and Ukraine are neighbours. We have friends there, we have family ties there. For us, this is personal, but also historically emotionally important for us,” she said.

“We know what it means to lose independence. We know what it is to struggle and to hope for help. This is all about brotherhood and unity. We know from our history books how Poland was invaded in 1939, and how much help we needed at that time.

“We know what these people are suffering through now and today, we want to provide that help that we were missing in World War II.” 

Lila Maciejewska, the president of the MyCork Polish Association, said they are liaising with the Polish cultural group, Folkowisko, based in Gorajec, whose president worked for a time in Cork, to ensure that the right aid gets to the right place, and to those who need it most.

Joanna Arcaba-Tomasik at the Ballycureen Industrial Estate in Cork. Community groups want to ensure that the right aid gets to the right place, and to those who need it most.Photo: Dan Linehan

“The people of Poland and Ukraine have a shared history. Many of us have friends and family in Ukraine and we want to help,” she said.

Nursing home worker, Malgorzata Dziubinska, who has been living in Ballincollig, on the outskirts of Cork city for 15 years, is one of many Polish people across the province who has organised a local collection that will feed in to the MyPolish Association warehouse.

“Invasion is something that is still in our memory and what has happened in Ukraine in the last few days is touching our hearts,” she said.

“I just put out the idea of a collection and the response has been overwhelming. Couriers have offered us their vans, and have even offered to bring the aid to Poland. It’s an unbelievable community.” 

Joanna Arcaba-Tomasik and her husband Frankie at the Ballycureen Industrial Estate, Cork packing up food which have been donated to the My Cork Polish Association and the Polish Scouts to be shipped to the Poland/Ukraine border. Picture Dan Linehan

In Tipperary, Alla’s Patisserie in Fethard, which is owned and run by Alla and Andriy Dediuk, was inundated with customers when they announced that all money earned at their shop on Sunday would be sent to support the Ukrainian army.

Locals reported hour-long queues at the shop, which is also accepting donations of medical supplies, food and clothes.

In Kerry, the Polish community is accepting donations at the Killarney Methodist Church, and at the Polish shops, Mroz and Pewex.

While on Saturday, Aisling O'Sullivan will host a blowdry and dry styling fundraising event at the To Have and To Hold outlet on the Kinsale Road in Cork.

Joanna Arcaba-Tomasik at the Ballycureen Industrial Estate in Cork. Photo: Dan Linehan

Meanwhile, as communities do what they can to help, the Irish Red Cross has urged people to donate cash instead of physical goods amid fears that humanitarian aid could end up in landfill.

As its own Ukraine crisis fundraising appeal passed the €1m mark today, Irish Red Cross secretary-general, Liam O’Dwyer, said they appreciate people's desire to help.

But he said trying to send physical goods to a country where airports are closed and transportation systems are under pressure is likely to add more stress to an already difficult situation.

“In circumstances of disaster, the Red Cross always advises against sending goods to affected areas as it is very difficult to get these goods into a country in crisis and to distribute them to the right people,” he said.

“Experience from other crises shows that many of these items will end up in landfill and will not help the people you wish to support.

“Providing donations to organisations like the Red Cross or other organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine ensures that your generosity can be put to good use.”