Ukraine and Poland Summer 2023

On this trip we had our daughter Lexi with us. Our neighbor Mike Thaller and Win’s cousin,
Danny Spencer also came.

Our first stop after arriving in Krakow was to the restaurant, Zlote Serce. It was so good to see
the ladies (Yulia, Natasha, Natasha, and Vika) and catch up with them, as well as have a
Ukrainian meal.

The next day we visited Hotel Niepolomice to introduce Lexi, Danny, and Mike to the refugees
there. Danny met with a few refugees and gave doctor advice to them.

Monday morning we met up with Boyd, Alen, Fred, and his daughter Marisol to load up a Van &
SUV with humanitarian aid to take into Ukraine. You never want to go to Ukraine without your
vehicles being packed to the brim with aid. We had our 18 suitcases with humanitarian aid, as
well as food, hygiene products, and clothing for mechanics working on the front lines.

Our first stop in Ukraine was to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints located in Lviv.
Here we left medical supplies, life straws, the mechanic clothing, food, and hygiene products
that would be distributed throughout Ukraine.

The second stop in Lviv was the Refugee Center we call the “Sports Hall.” This is the same
refugee center we visited in March with the Fosters & Lena. We toured the facility and left them
with much needed hygiene products, diapers, food, and treats for the kids.
With the vehicles now empty, we visited Marko (Ukraine’s version of Costco) where we stocked
up on supplies that were needed for the other center we’d be visiting in Lviv. As we were loading
the van, we experienced our first air raid siren. I’m not going to lie, it was super scary and
unnerving.

We were lucky enough to visit a center for women & children that Lifting Hands International
partners with. Here we dropped off lots & lots of food, diapers, towels, and other needed items.
They were so sweet and feed us wonderful food and shared stories about their homes they had
to flee because of the war.

That evening, we met with some of Boyd’s contacts who are running a STEAM school in Ivano
Frankivsk. Another stop we made in Ivano Frankivsk was to the Migrants Support Center. Here they are
helping displaced refugees from Mariupol. Here they have many services to help those who
have lost everything. My favorite part at the Center was stopping by the Pre-school class. It
was fun to interact with the kids and see them smile as we passed out “squishies” and candy.
We left needed supplies here, including a washing machine.

Next, we visited an Orphanage in Ivano Frankivsk. This was an emotional stop! The children
here have lost both parents in the war and have no other family. While we left much needed
supplies, seeing these very young children and knowing they will grow up without their parents
was absolutely heartbreaking.

Late night drive back to Krakow, Poland. Thanks to donations from Lena Contor’s fundraiser, we were able to do another food line with Piotr. For $4,000, we were able to package 150-200 grocery kits of 10 food items for Ukrainian Refugees.

It’s always fun to visit Tonya and our friends at Hotel Maria. Here we were able to leave them
with fruit, treats, food items, diapers, wipes, baby food, and summer toys for the kids. Of
course, when the kids saw that we had toys, they wanted us to come out in the yard and play.
Once it got dark, we went in and participated in a dance party with the kids.

We wanted to do as much service as we could, so we reached out to Harry to see if he had
anything we could help with. He let us know of a Summer Camp in Katowice that Zlote Serce
was providing lunch for. He asked if we could deliver the food and help out at the camp. We
delivered the food, passed out drinks, and interacted with the kids.

Met with Alina (the 19 year old girl from Izum we are sponsoring) for dinner. It was so good to
see her and hear all about her preparations for moving to the US in a few weeks.
I have always wanted to do a group outing with the refugee centers. We made it happen this
trip! We invited everyone from Hotel Maria, Hotel Niepolomice, and Duhachka to the local water
park in Krakow. We had a good group and so much fun!

It’s not a trip to Poland if we don’t see and visit with the Kovtun family. Because we had Lexi
and Mike with us (Danny had to leave a few days before us), I didn’t want Inna to feel like she
needed to cook for us, so we met their family at a restaurant. It was here they let us know that
once their son leaves for his LDS mission, they would be returning to Ukraine.

Our good friends, Mark & Raquel Stallings came for the last couple days of our trip to help us
serve. We were able to introduce them, Mike, and Lexi to our sweet friend Antone who is going
to college in Krakow. We walked around the grounds of the Wawel Castle and then all went out
to dinner.
Everyone got to experience multiple Makro shopping trips. Shopping for Duhatchka would be
our last one for this trip. We stocked up on the needs for Duhatchka then delivered them to this
refugee center. The kids here are so sweet and love the interaction with the Americans.
Lexi, Mike, Mark, and Racquel got to experience what it’s like to assemble 100+ hygiene kits.
They also got to experience passing them out. We took them to the refugee center we call,
“New Kapalanka.” Because the Polish Government has decided they don’t love help from
Americans, we have to stand outside and pass out any humanitarian aid. It’s difficult, because
we worry that the word won’t get out to everyone in the center. Hopefully, everyone was able to
get some supplies.

Our last full day in Krakow, was shopping for and delivering school supplies, and other
necessities to Hotel Niepolomice. We love visiting with the refugees here! They are so
welcoming and appreciative of all we do. We knew a handful of the residents here would be
returning back to their homes in Ukraine, so it was bitter sweet to see them for the last time.