Polish team lends a helping hand in Ukrainian Refugee Crisis (12-04-2022)

Polish team lends a helping hand in Ukrainian Refugee Crisis (12-04-2022)

The team at Evolution Power Tools have a long history of stepping forward and helping those less fortunate. In recent times you’ve seen EPT tools in the hands of our troops when called upon to help build the Covid Nightingale Hospitals across the UK; there’s also the wonderful work undertaken by our Chairman and Founder’s charity, The Gavins Foundation (www.thegavinsfoundation.com), helping thousands of children receive an education and ultimately access new opportunities on their journey to a better life.

Central to who we are, and ultimately the driving force behind what we do is a very simple message and vision:

"Evolution Power Tools exists to make a difference in the lives of the people who work for us, the communities we operate in and the World we live in."

We challenge ourselves to live up to this vision every day; whether that’s ensuring our colleagues have all that they need, or that local community good causes get the support they deserve … and that’s precisely why we stepped up to lend a helping hand as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine began to unfold before us.

While it’s been difficult to even comprehend a European war in 2022 our teams didn’t waste any time in reaching out to help those organisations working tirelessly on the frontline in Ukraine, helping to bring relief to those suffering during this terrible and unjust conflict. With thousands of families being split up, leaving mothers and children running for safety to neighbouring countries, never has it been more important for organisations like Evolution Power Tools to rally together with others to offer help where we can to those in danger and in desperate situations fleeing their homes and the fighting on their streets in their villages, towns and cities right across Ukraine.  

People from across our organisation came together to raise funds for SOS Children’s Villages (Poland - SOS Children's Villages International (SOS-childrensvillages.org)), a charity that works across the globe to protect and improve the lives of orphaned children. The Polish and Ukrainian branches of this charity are working closely with local frontline communities and authorities to offer safe havens for those children and families most at risk. But it doesn’t stop there …. Kris Kmuk, who leads our Polish organisation, along with his wider team and other volunteers from the Polish community stepped up to make a difference on the ground!

Only the Priorities, please

Kris, a long-time resident of Warsaw, Poland, along with his local neighbours couldn’t simply standby and watch in disbelief as the Ukrainian refugee crisis unfolded on their doorsteps; in a focused and ultimately common sense approach they thought through what fleeing refugees might need as soon as they arrived in Poland,  the kind of things that are left behind as mothers and children flee the fighting but are quickly remembered as those same people queue in wintry conditions waiting to cross the border into Poland.

On the 25^th of February, the day after the war started in Ukraine, Kris used social media to organise neighbourhood donations of clothing; these donations were sorted and categorised for easy distribution to those most in need. Kris commented: “People from our neighbourhood spent hours sorting these donations into bags. Bags of essential clothing for every kind of refugee crossing our borders.” Bags were labelled by gender and age, to enable those on the frontline to quickly distribute the right kind of relief package to the right kind of refugee.

By the time Kris and his neighbours had finished, they had hundreds of labelled clothing bags; once again common sense prevailed and a decision was made to split this mountain of relief: Mykolai Havryshuk, a naturalised Polish neighbour who was born in Ukraine, filled his car and travelled to three refugee centres on the border of Ukraine; joining the many other Polish people rushing to help their Ukrainian neighbours. Back at his Warsaw home, Kris was stacking out his car with bags of clothing and readying himself for the 120km drive to the new Refugee centre in ŁÓDŹ.

This amazing effort speaks volumes about the character of Kris, his team and his neighbours; a lesson for us all to follow. Well done to Kris Kmuk, Mykolai Havryshuk and their local neighbours – all heroes in our eyes!

Where there is a will there is always a way

Despite the terrible news headlines and the sinking feeling of not being able to do anything in the face of such terrible stories coming out of Ukraine, it is at times like these that your help is needed the most. You too CAN help … no matter how little time or few resources you may have, you can get involved, you too can help make a positive difference in the lives of those around you, the community you live in … and even the wider world. Here are a couple of ideas of how you can help right now:

Share this story on your social media; and encourage others to share it too. And for those of you wanting to donate please click on this link https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/urgent-appeal-families-and-children-in-ukraine-need-your-help/

More information can be obtained from https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Help raise money and awareness to help Ukrainian children and families.