Polish woman living in Sheffield appeals for help for Ukrainian refugees fleeing war

A million Ukrainians are queuing outside Government buildings in Poland as they plead for their refugee status, according to one expatriate living in Sheffield.
By Charlotte Stokes
Published 10th Mar 2022, 07:24 BST
Updated 10th Mar 2022, 10:11 BST
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Sara Wysocka, originally from Wloclawek, which is two hours away from Warsaw, has set up a donation centre in her front room to collect supplies to be sent to Poland to help the refugees seeking sanctuary there.

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Miss Wysocka said with television and social media footage showing the horrors unfolding in Ukraine on a daily basis as the Russian invasion continues and refugees continue to flee to neighbouring countries, she felt compelled to help.

Sara Wysocka and Matt Rock are collecting supplies for refugees in PolandSara Wysocka and Matt Rock are collecting supplies for refugees in Poland
Sara Wysocka and Matt Rock are collecting supplies for refugees in Poland
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She said: “I stopped watching it, I don’t know what’s happening anymore. After they bombed the Freedom Square in Kharkiv, that was a bit too much for me. Just seeing that whole cultural place just blow up.

“There are still so many people in Poland alive that remember the USSR and WW2 and so it’s just too close to home and to my heart. It’s very scary in the East at the moment.”

As a response to the refugees, Sara and her partner, Matt Rock, have set up a small donation centre in their living room on Bramall Lane.

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PRZEMYSL, POLAND - MARCH 08: People who fled the war in Ukraine rest inside a temporary refugee shelter that was an abandoned TESCO supermarket after being transported from the Polish Ukrainian border on March 08, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland. Over one million people have arrived in Poland from Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 24, and while many are now living with relatives who live and work in Poland, others are journeying onward to other countries in Europe. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)PRZEMYSL, POLAND - MARCH 08: People who fled the war in Ukraine rest inside a temporary refugee shelter that was an abandoned TESCO supermarket after being transported from the Polish Ukrainian border on March 08, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland. Over one million people have arrived in Poland from Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 24, and while many are now living with relatives who live and work in Poland, others are journeying onward to other countries in Europe. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)
PRZEMYSL, POLAND - MARCH 08: People who fled the war in Ukraine rest inside a temporary refugee shelter that was an abandoned TESCO supermarket after being transported from the Polish Ukrainian border on March 08, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland. Over one million people have arrived in Poland from Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 24, and while many are now living with relatives who live and work in Poland, others are journeying onward to other countries in Europe. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Over recent days they have covered the floor of their house with boxes from strangers and neighbours which then get sent to bigger centres and transported to Poland weekly.

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They also added: “We will be going door to door later, to see if people have old cans of beans in their cupboards. I expect a lot of people to have at least a pot noodle to give, especially in such a student-filled area”.

Sara and Matt want the message to spread far that these donation centres are all over Sheffield, but are using their house as a point for those with no cars making it easier for locals to get involved.

The couple are collecting “anything and everything”, including children’s toys, clothing, non-perishable foods and sanitary products.

Matt Rock, 27, added: “The people who are leaving their homes have nothing. These are the essentials that are easily forgotten.”

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Fletcher Waste Company owns the convoy of trucks leaving for Poland on March 11, but they still need more supplies such as clothing, blankets and towels.

To donate, contact Sara via email at [email protected]