I'm taking a growing team of British volunteers to Poland Starting this week.(19th of March ) to work and to support a local charity in the historic town of Lublin which is very close to my heart. I'm raising money for several emergency requirements we are advised are most pressing at the moment. All funds raised will go fully and directly to helping Ukrainian families, without delay and in a meaningful way. Your money will buy: Medication and medical supplies for Hospitals in Ukraine, Blankets, Pillows and Duvets, Linen, Towels, Toiletries, Cleaning products, Personal Hygiene items, Socks and Underwear, Staple Foods, Battery Banks, Books in Ukrainian for displaced Ukrainian Children, Minibus Hire (2-3 required at £60 per day for each minibus ) to provide transport from the border to safe accommodation in Poland and much more :)

Travel and necessities for the volunteers are being provided seperately to this appeal, so 100% of your generous donation goes to meeting the exact need of these displaced families.

I'll be posting updates, photos and videos of our Ukrainian Mission here and on instagram @renata_redman

More details of the mission and work we will be doing whilst in Poland follow below:

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 3Million refugees have fled the country, the vast majority across the border in to Poland. The Polish people have stepped forward in unison to help all the Ukrainian families arriving on mass to the country, with churches often at the forefront, helping as much as they can.

The city in Poland where I was raised is Lublin, which is the biggest city close to the Ukrainian border. The church I grew up in has got together with other churches in Lublin to set up the charity “Christians for Ukraine“. Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving Ukraine, which means that the refugees arriving are overwhelmingly women and children.

Over the last three weeks the church volunteers have been helping families coming from Ukraine, opening their church buildings to receive mothers with children, setting up sleeping areas and cooking daily meals, taking care of many families. Transport has been provided to many people from the border with Ukraine to the local churches and to hostels in Lublin, helping children and mothers to safety and to a warm bed ( the temperature in Poland as I write this is -3C / 26F). The second wave of people arriving in Poland are typically in a more desperate state than the first arrivals and are less likely to have family or connections elsewhere in Europe, they are simply waiting for the war to end so they can hopefully return to their homes in Ukraine, to their husbands, to their fathers and to the life that they left behind.

The church in Lublin has managed to secure a number of buildings specifically for refugees arriving in Lublin, however these places are in need of preparation before they will be suitable for the families to use. In some instances minor repairs need undertaking, they all need cleaning and kitchen equipment, to be set up with beds, mattresses, basic furniture, linen, blankets, duvet’s and pillows, towels, and a small general play area for the kids. This all takes effort, time, people and finances. The churches are small but they are on fire for God!!! The church members have been helping from day one as much as they can, making a monumental effort, however with the membership of the churches typically quite small (around 100 people each across all ages) they are under pressure after three weeks of non-stop full on involvement. They need our help and will be so grateful and happy to welcome our team to help them.

“Christians for Ukraine” is also delivering medical supplies directly to hospitals in Ukraine and on the way back they offer transport from the border to Lublin for those leaving Ukraine. They are in need of drivers who could drive their and our rented vehicles from the border or from the train station at Chelm to Lublin where the people arriving can get accommodation and food. Human Trafficking is a real risk to young mothers and kids who are more likely to be taken advantage of by human traffickers, ( for sex or work slavery or abducted) providing safe transport and safe locations is one way to help prevent this, but they are also trying to spread awareness to those who are vulnerable. Suitable Mini buses cost £70 per day and approximately £50 in fuel per day per vehicle at current fuel prices. Most of the finances so far have been provided by the volunteer drivers themselves, but after 20 days and rising fuel prices they are taking strain financially and will not be able to continue indefinitely. We are hoping to hire a few more vehicles together with provision for fuel so we can help more families to safety and out of the cold.

There are 3 ways to help:

1. If you also feel stirred to help, but didn’t know how, then I encourage you to get in touch and join the team on route to Poland where you will be a great blessing . Get in touch with me!

2. If you are unable to join us but feel led to help the charity financially ( to provide all the things covered above ) your finances will be invaluable and a great blessing!!

3. Most of all I ask you to pray for the team, for the local church and for all the families leaving Ukraine, for continued supernatural provision and an end to this awful conflict. Pray that God will direct to us those in the greatest need and that we will be able to meet that need.