Europe, February 2022
After communicating with the embassy of Ukraine in Prague and the administration of Lesna, a city close to Lighthouse Center® Poland, we received a list of prioritized needs of food, toys for children, hygiene materials, bedding, and medical supplies. Most of the materials were for refugees who had left Ukraine. Our Know Thyself as Soul team in Czech Republic focused on collecting medical supplies that the embassy would then transport via supply routes to the wounded and sick in Ukraine.
Lighthouse Center Poland was the natural choice as the collection point for items donated and organized by our teams in various countries. Our volunteers in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Slovenia were invited to a call to collaborate with Lighthouse Center Poland. Everyone was motivated to help and we discussed how we would collect the items and transport them to Lighthouse Center Poland. From Lighthouse Center Poland, the items would be brought further to other destinations.
More video calls within the participating countries inspired many of our volunteers to come forward with great enthusiasm and big hearts. Our teams quickly started collecting food and goods on the prioritized list. The response was overwhelming, never before had so many of our volunteers participated.
Many collection points were organized throughout the countries. Our volunteers would drive from one city to the other ensuring that everyone’s contribution was collected. Boxes upon boxes of items were then dropped off at the centralized distribution centers. The boxes were checked to ensure that the donated items met the quality standard before labeling each box with details of its contents.
Then the boxes were delivered to Lighthouse Center Poland. Once the first transports arrived at Lighthouse Center Poland, the local authorities were contacted to discuss the distribution of the requested items. All in all, more than 700 boxes and packages of items donated and collected by our volunteers, were then delivered to their destination. In fact, thanks to generous donations, we have been able to continue giving support to meet the increasing need.
