[Video] Visit a train station-turned-refugee center with me

With so many refugees fleeing Ukraine, neighboring countries like Hungary, Romania, and Poland have had to get creative. Seminaries and shopping malls have transformed into refugee centers, churches have been converted into clothing banks, and individuals have even opened their homes to refugees.

But one of the most interesting transformations I saw in Eastern Europe was this train station in Poland, which was converted into both a refugee center and a church.

Elena is just one of the many refugees I met now living at this train station. Unfortunately, Elena’s parents never made it out of Ukraine. They’re still stuck in the middle of a war zone and desperately need help.

Watch this video to hear from Elena about her life as a refugee:

Because of their poor health and advanced age, Elena’s parents couldn’t make the difficult journey out of their hometown of Nikolaev, a city now on the front lines of the war.

Elena calls her parents five times a day to check in on them. It’s not just the bombs and the shelling that she’s worried about … there’s also a severe food and water shortage in the city.

“It pains me thinking about my parents in Nikolaev and the horrors they are facing. There really is no water. There really is no food,” Elena said.

The only reason her parents have survived this long is thanks to lifesaving aid delivered to Nikolaev. As the media’s attention shifts away from Ukraine, Elena fears that the elderly will be forgotten.

Understandably, it’s all Elena can think about.

“Even here with a peaceful sky and safety, I wake up every morning and my heart aches because I’m thinking about my parents, and I want to be with them,” she said.

Elena made Polish newspaper headlines by making camouflage military nets

But Elena’s parents aren’t the only ones in danger.

Last week, the Polish government stopped sending financial support to refugee centers within its borders. Now, as many centers are beginning to ration food and other supplies, Elena is worried about how she will receive her basic needs too.

The good news is that we have partners on the ground delivering food and other lifesaving aid both inside Ukraine as well as to refugee centers in neighboring countries. These incredible men and women are working around the clock to help families on the run, but they need your support in order to keep going.

Every $35 you give will provide a week’s worth of essentials like food, shelter, medical care, and more to a refugee from Ukraine or another war-torn country. This is your chance to be a world-changer and demonstrate the love of God to people living through their darkest days.

Refugees like Elena and her elderly parents are counting on generous people like you to help them survive this war. So I hope you’ll give as generously as you can today.

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