Maria, ESC volunteer from Spain

At the end of February, when the war began, I was scared. Everything changed overnight. I have never lived in a situation like this, so close to the war. Anyway, now I feel safe here.

Once a week, I volunteer at Szafa Dobra. I usually work in the warehouse, where I select clothes by size and pack them. Before this shop was set up, I was helping at the stadium and at the train station. It was the very beginning of the emergency, at the end of February, when everything was always changing and nobody knew what to expect the following day. Some friends of mine helped Ukrainian people by donating money, clothes and also offering their place to stay for free for a while.

How do I feel in this situation? From one side, it is satisfying to give my contribution. I feel rewarded when my efforts help Ukrainian refugees. On the other side, it is very sad to see people who had to leave all their lives behind and move to another country because of the war.