At refugee center in Poland, the best and worst of humanity

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I recently returned home to Minnesota following two weeks working as a volunteer at the Ukrainian refugee center in Przemysl, Poland. I decided to make my way to southern Poland, a few miles from the Ukrainian border, because two friends from Chicago were already there helping newly arriving refugees. I was inspired by their spontaneous humanitarian action.

The refugee center in Przemysl is in a former shopping center along a busy street. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, several hundred to several thousand refugees have arrived every day. They come from every part of Ukraine — from Lviv only about 50 miles away, from Kyiv, Kharkiv and eastern Ukraine.

They are only at the center for 24 to 48 hours before moving on. Tables are staffed by volunteers who help refugees arrange travel onward by train, bus and van to other cities in Poland or to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

I was unprepared emotionally for my first encounter with the refugees. They are mostly young women, carrying their children in their arms and pulling suitcases or large plastic bags containing whatever personal belongings they could gather as they fled the war zone.

One older woman sits in a wheelchair holding her head in her hands, crying softly.

Many have left behind fathers, husbands and brothers who are carrying on Ukraine's fight for survival. The only men one sees are older, or display physical or mental disabilities that make them unable to join the fight against the Russian invaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has barred able-bodied men from leaving the country.

In the eyes of these refugees a scared, blank look is proof that they have endured the inhumanity of war.

My work at the refugee center ranged from mopping floors, to setting up sleeping cots with fresh bedding and pillows, to carrying baggage. I made many new friends among other volunteers from around the world and I was proud to meet numerous other Americans, including several others from Minnesota, who could not simply sit back and watch this tragedy unfold. I felt the deep gratitude of people needing a safe, clean space to sleep after harrowing days of travel.

On April 8, my friend and I crossed the border near Medyka, Poland, into Ukraine. We handed out chocolates, juice boxes, lip balm and other sundries to refugees waiting in a long line to clear Polish customs. Chocolate seems to be a universal language. It was heartwarming to bring smiles to the faces of children.

While I have been shaken by seeing the evidence of the worst of humanity, I have also been inspired by the best of humanity. The nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Spanish chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, UNICEF, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and others, including religious organizations, are all working 24/7 to respond to this man-made disaster. In fact, World Central Kitchen is providing thousands of meals every day to both the refugees and volunteers in Przemysl and in locations in Ukraine. (By the way, they make a delicious borscht!)

We must also acknowledge and thank the people and government of Poland for receiving so many Ukrainian refugees. It is a country that remembers the 1939 German invasion that started World War II. But even some Poles are raising questions about how many more refugees Poland can absorb.

President Joe Biden has committed the U.S. to accepting up to 140,000 Ukrainian refugees. It is essential that the U.S. and other nations around the world follow through on their commitments to receive and resettle these refugees to help relieve some of the pressure on Poland and other neighboring countries.

None of us can predict the course of Putin's and Russia's wholly unjustified, illegal and inhumane attack on the peaceful people of Ukraine. The world must be prepared for the possibility that this conflict could drag on for many months. The current financial and volunteer support for the humanitarian efforts underway in Poland and elsewhere is impressive, but we must ask ourselves, can this essential support be sustained over the long haul? Will we succumb to compassion fatigue as time passes and our attention turns elsewhere?

If we fail to stay the course in supporting the Ukrainian refugees, Vladimir Putin wins. If you have not yet done so, please consider making a donation to a credible nonprofit that is working to help the Ukrainian refugees. As someone once said, it is truly "better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness."

Steve Francisco, of Eagan, is a former congressional staffer, a nonprofit advocate and an adjunct professor at Hamline University.