Your IWAK Committee has put a lot of time, thought and research into how we can best consolidate the power of our collective communities in order to make a focused, direct and significant impact for the betterment of the lives of the displaced people fleeing the war in Ukraine. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our plan to fundraise in support of a very inspiring project, known simply as “Hotel to Housing”. This endeavour is the brainchild of Tony and Rhonda Adams, an American family who have called Kraków home since 2010. Mr and Mrs Adams have been running a community centre in the heart of Kazimierz called the The Worship Center, which, up until the war in Ukraine broke out on 24 February, was home to many activities including English lessons for adults and children, gospel choir rehearsals and concerts, as well as a place of worship on Sundays.
When the war began, Tony and Rhonda immediately converted their community centre space into a temporary shelter, with beds for 25 people. Since those first days, they have been working fulltime with displaced people arriving from Ukraine and to date have helped more than 200 people of different nationalities, races and religions. They provide assistance, care and comfort to those they welcome, and provide support much beyond just food and shelter. Available to all of their guests are doctors, lawyers and counsellors. Together with their group of dedicated volunteers, some of whom are ex-residents who return to the centre on a daily basis to help new arrivals, Tony and Rhonda do everything in their power to assist from completing PESEL application submissions, helping some restart their business that they lost in the war, to getting students back into schools and university, and even international adoptions of orphans! Their goal is to provide any assistance needed in order to establish their new lives in the medium term, whether that be in Kraków or beyond Poland’s borders.
WHERE WILL THE FUNDS WE RAISE GO?
The “Hotel to Housing Project” aims to provide accommodation security, privacy and community to people displaced by the war. The availability of sustainable, medium-term accommodation in Kraków has quickly become an issue of concern. Tony and Rhonda are fundraising to be able to sign a 6-month lease agreement on a 75 bedroom hotel in ul. Bratysławska, which ceased operation during the pandemic. Successfully achieving this goal would mean that, at any one time, approximately 160 people would live in comfortable, medium-term accommodation that will give them at minimum, a private room and shower. The plan is also to take 3 of the hotel rooms (one on each floor) and convert them into communal kitchens, as well as employ 4 residents to manage the daily operations and maintenance of the property. For more information, please contact your committee members and see details below:
The Worship Center – Dajwór 14, Kazimierz
https://www.facebook.com/wrshpcntr/
https://instagram.com/wrshpcntr?utm_medium=copy_link
HOW CAN OUR COMMUNITY CAN HELP?
We know the incredible force for good that our community of women has. We see, hear and are incredibly proud of how our members are supporting one another in private efforts to help those in need. We are asking you to join us in a collective community effort to fundraise within our personal networks to help the “Hotel to Housing” project become a reality. As you read this article, the IWAK Committee has already raised almost 60,000 zlotys via friends, family and colleagues across the world! We will soon have more details to share with you regarding the milestones we want to hit and hope to give you a clearer picture of what we can achieve as a result of your fundraising efforts.
Whilst financial support is the most crucial element to the success of this project, we know that it is not always how people are best able to show their support. That is why we are able to offer other important ways to the help sustain The Worship Center and its residents, including;
1) Signing up to provide a hot meal for 30 people,
2) Volunteering at the centre,
3) Buying and delivering specified groceries and other goods,
4) Cleaning and otherwise preparing the hotel rooms to house the displaced people moving in,
Plus many more opportunities.
You can make any financial contributions towards this project by transfer into IWAK’s bank account with the title “Donation”: http://iwak.pl/2022-iwak-charity-donations/
Deborah Draijer
Post a comment