"Our homes, oratories and Salesian schools have opened their doors to the displaced - continues the Salesian - Here in Lviv, where thousands of women and children have arrived, we help with food. The youth ministry centers have become first aid centers for the affected population. Youth and parents are doing all they can to support the hardest hit regions. Every day we send food and medical supplies to people on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe."
"International humanitarian aid has already begun," he continues. "We thank the Salesian Family of Slovakia who have already sent humanitarian aid. At the moment we are organizing large-scale international assistance for the civilian population that has suffered the most from the bombings."
Finally, the Salesian concludes: "Some of our confreres are directly in the combat zone and are helping the civilian population by providing the most necessary and above all spiritual support."
For their part, the Salesians in Poland have started numerous collections in their structures since February 24, the day the war began. They support the needy population by collecting and sending medicine, hygiene items, power generators, blankets, food and everything else that is needed at the border and directly to Salesian houses (SDB and FMA) in Ukraine. "The first transports have already arrived on the spot, others are being prepared," reports Fr Jacek Zdzieborski, Head of the Salesian Mission Office in Warsaw (https://misjesalezjanie.pl). Help is being provided through the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians who work in Ukraine and who have not left the country at this difficult time.
But the Polish Salesian Family is active across the board: also in the reception of refugees, in mediation to find housing, and in the organization of medical, psychological and legal assistance. Many volunteers are also involved in the operations, and in the oratories lessons are organized and Ukrainian children are taken care of in order to make their adaptation to the new reality less traumatic.
The Province of North-East Italy (INE) is also directly involved in supporting war refugees: in fact, the Salesian houses of Chişinău, in Moldavia, which already hosts about 100 Ukrainian refugees, and those of Bacau and Costanza, in Romania, which are equipped to host them, depend on INE. In a spirit of solidarity, INE's houses on Italian soil are already working to welcome refugees, such as the one in Bardolino, which hosts a Ukrainian woman and 4 children; and many others are active in collecting funds and materials for the Ukrainian population.
Also, 500 kg of donations in kind have been sent by air to Ukraine by the Salesians of Malta; while "Salesian Missions", the Salesian Mission Office based in New Rochelle, USA, is making available a large quantity of medicines; "Salesian Missions - Australia", the Salesian Mission Office of the "AUL" Province, has also activated its fundraising initiatives for the needy population in Ukraine.
