A Year of Ukraine Aid – Food Banks Report

Dear Readers,

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, we knew that millions of people found themselves in a dramatic situation. Their daily, peaceful lives came to an end. Many of them had to flee to seek shelter with their neighbors.

Poles welcomed them with open arms. Acts of spontaneous help and self-organization multiplied. NGOs rushed to help, organizing food, accommodation, transportation, and clothing. Together, we welcomed the needy and accommodated ourselves with refugees in our country. Poland and the hearts of our compatriots are large enough for this.

From the beginning of the war, we also knew that helping Ukrainian citizens would be a marathon, not a sprint. Over the weeks, the needs of our guests changed. As Food Banks, we made every effort to meet the demand. We provided nearly 6,300 tons of food products worth over 70 million PLN in aid, both in Poland and in Ukraine. In our country, we organized nearly 200 workshops for almost 2,000 people to strengthen Polish-Ukrainian ties. Local Food Banks activated refugees through volunteering, helped them find housing and employment.

Today, a year after the start of the Russian aggression, we still do not know when and how the war will end. However, we know that our help is needed every day, and it is our duty to provide it to those in need. The efforts of Food Banks and all those involved in our assistance have been appreciated, among others, by the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland, from which we received an invitation for a speech by President of the United States Joe Biden. We participated in it with ten Ukrainian women who found shelter in Poland.

The aid we have provided so far is the result of tremendous commitment from companies, their employees, and ordinary people.

Thank you for allowing us to help together.

Beata Ciepła, President of the Federation of Polish Food Banks