Charity Auction for Refugees from Ukraine and Belarus

There are currently about 2 million Ukrainians in Poland, and that number is likely to grow. Living conditions in the frontline areas are dire. People have no electricity, no water, no heating, hunger prevails. Those who are able to organize an escape will probably decide to do so. There is also a growing number of Belarusians who are forced to flee the country for fear of arrest or even loss of life. Often they arrive with just one backpack, with no way to take their life's possessions. All of them need a roof over their heads, food, cleaning supplies and, further, support in dealing with documents and official matters that will enable them to function with dignity in our country.

The Humanosh Foundation has been caring for political refugees for many years. In 2021, it renovated and opened the first Mirnyj Dom in Warsaw. It was a shelter for newcomers from Belarus. The outbreak of war in Ukraine contributed to the opening of three more facilities in 2022. Two in Warsaw and one in the suburban city of Nadarzyn. The monthly cost of maintaining one facility (especially during the heating season) is a sum that often exceeds PLN 30,000. The idea of the Mirny Houses is community, offering residents a substitute for home, family life. In each house there is a common space where people gather in the evenings, watch tv, talk, cook together. Forced emigration is a powerful trauma, so no one in it should be condemned to loneliness.