Following the outbreak of war and the crossing of the border, many refugees had nowhere to sleep. Staying in reception centers, large halls, without a moment’s respite from others, was very exhausting, so many local churches with which we cooperate opened their doors and hosted refugees in their buildings. Some stayed there for a few days and then traveled further, while other churches helped them find new accommodation or provided a place for longer stays. We helped churches purchase food products, equipment, and supplies. Assistance in this area was also offered by, among others: Christian Community “Puławska”, Christ Church in Nysa, Christ Church in Ostróda, Christ Church in Bielsko Podlaskie, Christian Community in Olsztyn, Christian Community in Ciechanów, Christian Community in Koszalin, Christian Community in Sandomierz, Ku Dobrej Nadziei Association, and Baptist Church in Chociwł.

A particularly notable example of assistance for refugees is our close collaboration with the Ostróda CAMP center, which has been operating a Christian conference and leisure center since 1971. Since 2014, camps for children and youth from Korosten in Ukraine have regularly been organized there, so after the outbreak of war, the center began to receive many requests for help and shelter.

Just 3 days after the outbreak of the war, 31 people – 3 adults and the rest children, most of whom had previously attended camps there, arrived at the center. From February 28, for several months, 180 people lived at the center, some of them only briefly to rest, regain strength, and continue traveling to Germany, France, or Belgium. For many, Ostróda CAMP became a home for weeks and months.

Unfortunately, the center was not prepared for use in winter, so we prepared every available space for sleeping, provided 50 sleeping places in rooms for Ukrainian refugees, and also prepared summer cottages, which had previously been used only in the summer. We transformed the chapel – an old barn into a bedroom, where over 30 people found shelter. With the help of kind-hearted people from Ostróda, we prepared the entire center for the needs of fleeing people in just a few days – mainly mothers with children.

In the summer months of 2022, wanting to maintain the holiday atmosphere of the center for Polish children, we prepared 27 mobile containers for Ukrainian refugees, enabling the conduct of regular, annual camps, while still providing shelter for refugees.

When in autumn it turned out that a significant part of the refugees could not return to Ukraine and at the same time found it difficult to find permanent accommodation in Poland, we undertook to convert seasonal cottages into year-round cottages. They underwent thorough modernization, insulation, replacement of doors, windows, and installation of heating. Thanks to this, refugees could stay for the winter and another year.

“The Benevolent Houses” is a project of renting or renovating apartments (and there have been cases of even hotels!), where people transported by us found a moment of respite, received necessary psychological assistance, and could calmly decide whether to stay in Poland or continue their journey.

During their stay, we could help organize safe shelter for refugees in Poland or in Europe – thanks to extensive international contacts, we have organized stays for Ukrainian families in Germany, the Netherlands, and Northern European countries with the help of Christian Community “North” in Warsaw, Christian Community “West” in Warsaw, Christ Church in Nysa, Genesis Nova Christ Church in Pabianice, and Pentecostal Christian Community in Wrocław.