In May 2022, we met Anya volunteering outside of a World Central Kitchen tent at the main train station in Krakow, Poland. She was able to share below with us a bit about her journey of becoming a volunteer and how it has impacted her personally.
Interviewer: What’s your name and where are you from?
Anya: My name is Anya and I am from Krakow.
Interviewer: How did you become a volunteer?
Anya: Once the war started, the only thing that seemed natural to do was to volunteer, especially since Krakow was seeing lots of Ukrainians. You just see people who need help, so it was a natural thing to do. Many companies here in Krakow started giving extra days to their employees to help with volunteer efforts. So I took 2 days that were sponsored by my company and next thing you know it became my every week.
Interviewer: And what do you do here as a volunteer?
Anya: At the beginning when the people were sleeping over, I was talking to the people and giving out simple hygienic products. People slept in the tent for a few nights before moving to another place. I would advise the people on where they can pick up food for kids, food for pets, and where they can obtain some medical assistance. Simply talking to people because more and more people needed human contact and conversation.
Interviewer: How has volunteering changed you as a person?
Anya: I didn’t expect it would have such an impactful experience. Sometimes during one shift, I talk to 70 people, many of whom are meaningful and they leave a trace in your heart and even in your soul. Sometimes it is emotionally challenging because we see people with a lot of bad history behind the situation, but there is a very positive exchange of human emotions, equality, and friendship. I think it is something that people needed after the pandemic when everybody was isolated. And you can see this synergy of good feelings, and exchanging smiles. So it is a fundamental experience for me as a person and very beneficial. It is hard sometimes because you get engaged in other people’s emotions, and you want to help and it’s not always possible. This has been a priceless experience for me to engage with other humans and learn a lot about myself
Interviewer: You are doing a great job! And what is your message to the world? How can the world help Ukrainians currently?
Anyan: I think depending where you are – donations, sending clothes, participating in any kind of assistance to the people, because as I said, it is a conversation that is needed. Here people come for food, but we talk about the pets, the weather, about the holidays. I think this human exchange is fundamental apart from food and material things that are needed.