We have a neighbor whose son lives in Poland. He is a successful businessman who was in the process of opening a Bed and Breakfast. Instead, he has welcomed three families into that facility. After hearing about his efforts to help the refugees from Ukraine, we sent a contribution to his website. You can do the same by clicking on https://naklofoundation.org/donate/
I’m taking the liberty of sharing his letter here on my blog with the hope that it will inspire others to contribute.
Tue, Mar 15, 2022 10:42 p
Dear Lucia:
The money arrived. Very kind of you and so much appreciated.
Your generosity is helping us to establish some sort of normalcy for women and children from three families from the Kolomyja area in the western part of the country who are our current guests.
The response has been overwhelming, with more than 230 friends, and friends of friends from 31 U.S. states and nine countries having contributed. Former colleagues from newspapers that litter my professional trail, old high school chums, friends from the hemp industry and several fellow innkeepers are among those who have so kindly responded.
Many people have asked me why we’re sheltering refugees.
First, Marzenna, my wife, was a refugee from communist Poland in the 1980s. She and her brother were hosted by a lovely German family for nearly two years after they defected but before they were cleared for passage to the USA. She knows the feeling of being untethered from your home country, and is forever grateful to those German hosts. So it’s a way of moral repayment for her. (As our guests have always agreed, she is the most caring hostess.)
From a very practical point of view, we are set up as a hospitality destination, which we had prepared for reopening this summer as the covid pandemic dies down. We are doing it because we can. I like to think most people in our position would do the same. If you’ve seen the news reports, you know that many Poles are. More than 1 million Ukrainian refugees have now entered through Poland’s eastern border with Ukraine. As I write, they continue to be welcomed as they cross the border and as they arrive at cities and towns all over the country. For now, virtually all of those who have found shelter have found it in private homes and apartments.
As the Polish government goes about establishing emergency programs that will provide some funding, allow Ukrainian refugees to take jobs and clear other bureaucratic hurdles, the desperately needed immediate support has so far come from regular citizens, volunteers, NGOs and local units of government. Our local parish has been highly effective in assisting those who have arrived in our area.
You’ll see Liliana, at age 7-months now the youngest member of our household, in the photo attached. She brings a welcome lightness when we all gather at mealtime. Thank you for helping Liliana and all other guests from Ukraine who may pass our way.
With warmest regards,
Kehrt
For helping us to spread the word, thanks to:
Allan Lengel at Deadline Detroit
Maryann Struman and Elissa Welle at the Detroit Free Press
Marie Osborne at WJR Detroit
Mark Bennett at the Terre Haute Tribune-Star
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Nakło 74, Lelów
42-235 Poland
tel: (48) 602-33-66-85