The humanitarian aid center is involved in distributing supplies that are essential for the first days of the adaptation period such as food, toiletries, clothing, and bedding. We also provide consultation and give information which further helps people adapt to our city. Periodically, people come to us needing help with registration with the Polish government, finding suitable housing, and other issues which require fluency in Polish language. When needed, we accompany them and provide translation services as we help them navigate the Polish social services systems. Depending on the circumstances or if we receive special requests from people, we also provide travel arrangements for people, either picking them up at the Polish-Ukrainian border or purchasing tickets for transportation to Rzeszow, as well as from Rzeszow to the border. We spend a lot of time translating at local hospitals when a person has to visit the doctor.

One of our most important tasks is providing material assistance. Though Rzeszow is something of a border city, it was not set up for taking in and providing for refugees. From the first days of the war, we have provided refugees with the essential necessities that the Polish government has not been able to do. In Rzeszow and the whole southeastern region of Poland, there are almost no humanitarian aid centers that distribute essential items (i.e.  lending wheelchairs, crutches, mattresses, baby carriages). Our center is one of the only ones that are staffed entirely by local Ukrainian volunteers, many of whom are refugees themselves and in this instance, no one understands a refugee’s problems better than another refugee.