Earlier this year a local collective appealed for donations from the surrounding communities (there have been many such appeals across the UK) of items needed, including medical supplies, tinned food, new bedding, torches and candles etc etc (those last ones got my attention… so that people could have some light at night-time) in order to help those who have lost so much, and continue to do so, in Ukraine
the list of needed items had been compiled here by a local Polish community in contact with friends and relatives in Poland both for Ukrainians in Ukraine (citizens and soldiers) and those who had fled to Poland for refuge (mostly women, children and old folk)
because (and many in the US may not be aware of this) Poland is the country where so many homeless, injured and traumatised Ukrainians have fled and where they have been accepted, welcomed, and given food, shelter, medical attention and comfort
but Poland is not a country with unlimited wealth, hence the appeal
when I arrived at the collection point there were volunteers from all different cultures, including many originally from Poland, helping to check donated items and sort them into different categories (medical, food etc) before loading onto a large truck transporting everything to Poland where it would be distributed to help those Ukrainians sheltering and being cared for in Poland and onward to Ukraine also
I felt I should post this in the interests of balance, not to create further conflict - we have enough of that already here in Europe