AN appeal launched locally to support a former Ennis resident helping Ukrainian people fleeing their country has raised more than €3,000 in less than a week.
The Ennis-based Ireland Poland Ukraine Refugee Relief (IPURR) was recently set up to help Ukrainians driven from their country by the war and has been collecting donations to support their Polish friends Marcin Piotrowski and Marina Sestasvili-Piotrowska. (See Champion story here)
The family lived and worked in Ennis for over a decade before returning to Poland in 2017, and since the Russian invasion they have been providing important help close to the Ukrainian – Polish border.
Pat Rutherford of the IPURR committee told us that there has been a “steady stream” of support for the gofundme page https://gofund.me/d11b390e that has been set up to collect donations.
He expressed appreciation for the generous contributions that have been made so far while urging people to give if they can to the worthy cause. Donations made will be used to help fund badly needed generators, medical equipment and food among other items.
The committee are also giving out printed out QR codes bringing people straight to the fundraising webpage which will make it easier for people to make donations online.
On Saturday night Marcin and his team of folk festival volunteers were featured on RTÉ news receiving a large shipment of humanitarian aid to their emergency distribution centre in Cieszanow in eastern Poland, only 10 kilometres from the Budomierz border crossing to the Ukraine.
“Other than a feeling of national pride at the size of the donation, we could be very proud Of Marcin’s contribution to heading up the border refugee support at this location,” says Pat.
“Marcin is well known in Clare for his wonderful work as a bridge builder helping to integrate the Polish community into their new home here in Ireland. Marcin and his volunteers have worked tirelessly since the morning of February 24 helping literally thousands of Ukrainians each day as they try to escape the war in their homeland.
“They have focused on providing hot food and drinks to those waiting in long queues, but have also raised funding for generators, heated tents and temporary field hospitals.
“Marcin was keen to stress the importance of donations to support their initiatives, holding a pair of red high heel shoes in his hand he urged the serious situation they faced, people are starving, and without light and heat in many circumstances, it’s vital that donations are practical and appropriate.
“Marcin has urged that the best way to help is through a financial donation as the items required are readily available in Poland at sometimes much lower prices. This also allows them to place orders for specific items as the need arises.
“Early on Sunday morning last, the windows of the distribution centre shook, such was the force of the explosions just 20 kilometres away just inside the Ukrainian border. Sunday was an emotional day for the volunteers the proximity of the bombs had worried everybody.
“The folk festival volunteers were able to provide medical supplies to ambulances which were provided to Ukrainian volunteers who brought the supplies to Jaworow to provide assistance to the injured there.
“It’s important to mention that Marcin and his volunteers do not pass inside the border, as their safety is important and their focus is on those people who are arriving to the border. Nevertheless Marcin is hoping to raise funds for ventilators and generators for the local hospital across the border to support the injured there.”
Donations can be made at https://gofund.me/d11b390e or telephone the Clare Crusaders on 065 6896015 who can take a donation over the phone on behalf of the fundraising appeal. There will also be a bucket collection on April 1 throughout county Clare to raise much needed funds.