North Texans Raise Thousands for Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

It wasn’t long after Russia invaded Ukraine that Kinga Badura-Pysz got a call asking if she’d take in a woman and her four kids into her Polish home.

A few weeks later, they got settled with family and another family was in need of shelter. And all over her village, near Krakow, Badura-Pysz heard stories of refugees in need.

“They came at night with nothing, so that's how the idea of helping refugees came up, to be honest,” said Badura-Pysz.

The history teacher began collecting basic supplies like food, medicine and diapers. Still, more refugees arrived and the need grew.

“It's really unbelievable what they are going through, all of them. All the mothers and the kids… it’s just unbelievable,” she said.

That’s when a friend from Fort Worth, a city Badura-Pysz grew up visiting, turned to the community asking for donations. And in short order, people like business owner Marcelle LeBlanc responded.

 “I think most people, you know, want to help in times of need,” said LeBlanc.

To date, they’ve raised more than $13,000 to stock a commissary where Ukrainian refugees can get just about anything they need for free.

“When I see the number is going up and up, I just can't believe it. It's just it's amazing that the good people are doing good work. And you know, we can do much more with that help,” said Badura-Pysz.

With the help of volunteers, not only has Badura-Pysz been able to keep the store open daily, but she’s also sent three means of transport of food and medical supplies to those still in Ukraine, proving there’s power in the community no matter how many miles stand between.

Visit this link to donate to their GoFundMe page.