HUNDREDS of Islanders donated items for Ukrainians seeking refuge in Poland within the first couple of hours of a collection centre opening in St Helier yesterday, the woman behind the initiative has said.
Honorary Polish Consul Magda Chmielewska said the Old Magistrate’s Court within the Town Hall was already full of donated goods, adding she had been forced to find extra storage units elsewhere.
The collection centre is open every day from midday until 6pm until 6 March. The items will then be sent via freight company Jersey Bus to Rzeszów in south-east Poland.
Pictures emerging from Ukraine show huge queues of vehicles heading west out of the country to escape a barrage of Russian artillery fire and air strikes.
‘We have had hundreds of people turn up within the first few hours of the collection being open. The room is almost full already and I am going to look at two storage units which have been offered to us to house all of the donated items,’ said Ms Chmielewska.
‘The support shown so far has been overwhelming and it is amazing to see us come together as one community. We had people arriving as early as 10am and willing to queue for two hours just to drop off items,’ she added.
Islanders can also drop donations off at St Brelade’s Parish Hall between 9am and 5pm until 5 March, as well as St John’s Village Store.
Meanwhile, Magda Jordan, who has been involved in helping collect items for Ukrainian refugees, has said that they are no longer able to accept donations at the Mark Jordan at the Beach restaurant after their garage was filled within two days of asking for care-package donations.
Mrs Jordan said she would be working with Ms Chmielewska and asked that donations be taken to the Town Hall.
