Irish Red Cross team – Thank you just isn’t enough…
Food. Water. Blankets. Clothes. An endless supply of compassion. When I see the difference your support is making to Ukrainian refugees, a simple ‘thank you’ just isn’t enough. So I hope this email goes some way to showing you the impact of your kindness and generosity.
Your support at a glance.
As part of the global Red Cross movement, we can get your donations where they’re needed most – and fast. Just moments after you donated, your support was helping our colleagues do all of this:
Valentyna and Natasha-Natalya are so grateful for your compassion
Ukrainian refugees Valentyna and her daughter Natasha-Natalya (pictured above) are currently living at a Red Cross lodge close to Krakow. Valentyna says:
“In this difficult time when nothing makes sense, in a time of grief and horror when you don’t know what tomorrow brings. The kindest deed we’ve experienced is being here at the centre. We are so very grateful to be here.”
You’re helping us welcome refugees with open arms
Thanks to our team of more than 700 volunteers, we’ve been able to welcome frightened, hungry and exhausted Ukrainian families as they arrive at Shannon airport. Your donation has helped provide each family with essential supplies, including food, clothes and hygiene items, as well as transport to hotels.
“They are at the point of being catatonic with tiredness and hunger after the trauma of what they have witnessed, and the panic and distress in trying to travel and escape. Very often when we do follow up calls with them at their hotel accommodation, they are much brighter and grateful after a good night’s sleep and some nourishing food and the knowledge they are now in a place of safety.” Aebh O’Callaghan, Red Cross Volunteer
A little dignity for little Hanna and her family
This is Hanna. Her and her family had to flee Kharkiv. They’ve been living near Uzhhorod for three weeks, but Hanna’s dad returned to Kharkiv to care for his mother. Hanna has no idea if her dad is OK. She only knows that their old neighbourhood has been destroyed.
Hanna and her family have just been given a Red Cross hygiene kit, funded by amazing people like you. The kit contains laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoo. While it doesn’t even begin to replace all they’ve lost, it offers a tiny bit of comfort and dignity.
There are hundreds more stories I could share with you today, but I’ll stop here for now. I hope you can see the incredible difference you’re making to the people of Ukraine. Your generosity is helping to restore their faith in humanity. And for that, I cannot thank you enough.
Grace Connor
Irish Red Cross team
