Information for the Press
Restore Ukraine is responding with humanitarian support to aid the refugees displaced by the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. JJ Tec, an American English as a Second Language teacher living in Kyev and his family had to evacuate Ukraine and are now living in Poland. From his first day in Poland, JJ has been locating Polish families willing to take in refugees, driving to the border and finding those who need emergency shelters and hotels just inside Poland.
Restore Ukraine is working with volunteers, like JJ, who are crucial to matching Ukrainian families, typically a mother with one or two young children, with host families.
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Five days of hotel and emergency housing generally gives JJ and other volunteers time to match Ukrainian families with a local home while in order to open up more hotel end emergency shelter space for new arrivals. Many refugees are finding local home housing is needed for about 4-6 weeks while a more long-term housing can be located in more Western parts of Europe.
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The people of Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Slovakia have been amazing. The only resistance to providing 4-6 weeks of housing with these families is that the host families are often unable to afford to feed the refuges and would like support. Restore Ukraine is helping by providing funds for refugees for their food and immediate needs, relieving the financial pressure from the gracious families willing to host strangers from another country. JJ and other volunteers also require support with gas money and some supplies, which enables them to continue to volunteer their time with a lighter burden.
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By summer’s end, Restore Ukraine aspires to support over 500 Ukrainian families with emergency needs during this time of transition. Restore Ukraine is also positioned to participate with the repopulation of Ukraine and rebuilding after the crisis is resolved, which we hope will occur later this year.