PRZEMYSL, Poland ā Situated roughly six miles from the Ukrainian border, the Przemysl train station has become a bustling aid epicenter over the past month, flooded with refugees fleeing the Russian-occupied Ukraine. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, about 4.4 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of Russiaās invasion, roughly 2.5 million of which have entered Poland. On the train platform, families huddle with their luggage, exhausted, terrified, and many without a plan as they attempt to navigate their arrival to an unfamiliar country.
With the sudden uptick in through-travelers, the urgent need for volunteer help at this train juncture has reached a high. The Konradi family, a volunteer team of seven, distribute their aid amid the crowd.
Married duo Brian and Ann-Tyler Konradi graduated from Ā鶹“«Ć½ College in 1994. While at Ā鶹“«Ć½, they each completed study abroad programs focused in Eastern Europe. Beyond their time spent studying abroad, the Konradis lived and worked in Russia for around nine years post-undergradāboth as entrepreneurs and Brian also as an attorneyābefore moving back to the U.S. and their current home in Wimberley, Texas. Brian minored in Russian at Ā鶹“«Ć½, and both speak the language fluently as a result of their time abroad. āOur study abroad programs were life-changing events for both of us,ā said Ann-Tyler. The programs ignited a love for Eastern Europe that would persist throughout their lives.
Appalled by the unfolding crisis, Brian said his family āfelt compelled to try to use our knowledge base. We know the region of Eastern Europe and we know the language that most of the Ukrainian refugees speak, so we thought we should chip in more than just a blue and yellow flag on our Facebook pages.ā
The Konradis planned their relief trip meticulously to provide the most benefit to those at the border. āTypically, when there's a disaster area and people just hop on a plane to go help, they can be more of a hindrance than they are a help, so we were very conscious of trying to avoid repeating those kinds of good-hearted, but nonetheless mistakes,ā Brian said. From March 14 to March 21, they travelled in a rented campervan, sleeping and eating in the vehicle to avoid using any resources needed by the refugees.
The seven members of their teamāBrian, Ann-Tyler, Sasha, Mark, Anna, and Elizabeth Konradi, as well as Barton Ballardāsaw where help was needed each day and responded accordingly. They utilized their Russian skills to translate conversations between Ukrainians and Poles, carried luggage, served warm soup, and helped new arrivals to Poland plan their next steps. For a small city like Przemysl whose population is a little over 60,000 as of the 2020 census, resources are limited, and refugees must move on quickly to find more reliable lodging and work.
While in Poland, they regularly updated their Facebook pages with blog posts about their experiences, raising awareness and igniting a need to act in their online peers. Brian and Anne-Tyler kickstarted a GoFundMe campaign entitled the āProject Poland Fund,ā and received an outpouring of support from their social media network. They ultimately exceeded their goal of $80,000 by $5,805, receiving a total of 464 donations. By hosting the fundraiser online, it reached members of their various social spheres, everyone from childhood to the present. Friends from Ā鶹“«Ć½ College and Memphis made donations after learning about the campaign, just one of the many circles moved by the Konradiās mission.
100% of the proceeds will go to humanitarian organizations. āWeāre going to push the money out to an organization that we know from our experience is doing great work and needing more funds,ā Brian said. On March 28th, the Konradiās announced that they will donate the money to World Central Kitchen, an organization devoted to providing meals to populations impacted by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
āI would say also as equally humbling as the dollar amount was the amount of cheerleading from our Ā鶹“«Ć½,ā said Ann-Tyler. āWe would get back to our camper at the end of each day and read our Facebook messages from people; it was very touching. I guess they were hungry to know somebody that was actually on the ground.ā
However, Ann-Tyler says that the Project Poland Fund is a ādrop in the bucketā of a much larger struggle. The need for volunteer aid and activism grows increasingly dire as more refugees enter Ukraineās neighboring countries in pursuit of sanctuary. āItās a strange feeling leaving in the midst of this time of upheaval,ā journalist Mark Konradi says in the final installment of his Facebook blog. āSo much is still to be done. I hope we made a difference. I am not sure we made a dent.ā
Annalee McConnell ā22 is an English and Theatre major, the Ā鶹“«Ć½ Theatre Guild President, and the Development Communications RSA.