Claire DeSelle: My Global Volunteers Poland Experience

Claire Deselle has been an active and invaluable MVF Board Member for more than seven years. Although recently retired, she has had a career that spans corporate and non-profit management positions. She has also led start-ups and worked in venture capital. These days, she not only volunteers her time with Maine Venture Fund but also with several other organizations, one of which placed her overseas assisting with the crisis in Ukraine this summer. We asked her to write about her experience for our readers and she was kind enough to oblige. 

“You’re going where? Do you have some secret skills I don’t know about?”

Friends asked variations of these questions before I departed this past August to go to Poland to provide support to a group of Ukrainian refugees.

Like almost everyone I know, I watched with horror as the Russian military began its unprovoked attacks in Ukraine several months prior. The news shared heartbreaking stories of fleeing families and subtly revealed that despite our support with weapons and rhetoric, the Ukrainian people were alone in fighting this much larger adversary. And if they failed in deterring Putin’s maniacal plan, what would be the consequences?

I wanted to do something, but I speak neither Polish nor Ukrainian. Further, I don’t have any medical training, nor do I have a background in relief work. So, of course, I Googled, seeking options. That’s when I discovered the Global Volunteers program.

Global Volunteers is a long-standing human and economic development organization that holds special consultative status with the United Nations. When families arrive in Poland, the government provides for essential needs such as food, clothing, a place to live, and an ID card to seek employment. But these families need something more. They need psychosocial support as a temporary respite from the frightening realities back home and the uncertainties ahead. This support is where Global Volunteers excels.  

Still, I was uncertain. Was I really the best person for this assignment? But when I learned that Global Volunteers also requested donations of advanced first aid supplies, I knew I could be useful, at least as a courier and by bringing an organization that I had connections to, Partners for World Health (PWH) into the process.

PWH, headquartered in Portland, Maine, collects medical supplies from healthcare organizations and manufacturers, then sorts and repackages these products for redistribution to facilities in need, both locally and internationally. They enthusiastically supported this effort, filling my duffel bag with forty pounds of critical wound care material. (They also direct-ship requested supplies to other organizations in Ukraine.)

Prepared to make this delivery, I headed to the rural town of Siedlce, Poland, which is about the same size as Waterville, Maine. A tourist hotel served as our home base for planning meetings, most meals, and rest.  

Each day our group of volunteers would shuttle to the community center in the village of Stare Opole, which is about the size of Bowdoinham or Mars Hill, both small towns in Maine. Here, as requested by the local government, we offered English lessons for local Polish and Ukrainian children. They ranged in age between 8 and 14 years old. We used games, songs, crafting, and sports as vehicles for English dialogue. We laughed, gave out an occasional hug, and hopefully helped the children find new friends in preparation for the coming school year.  

During some of the evenings, the children’s moms and at least one grandmother joined us for additional enrichment. They also needed diversions from the weight of all they were enduring. Sometimes they wanted to play cards, and sometimes they tried to tell us about the lives they had left behind. They wanted to express profound gratitude for the Polish people who generously welcomed them. Many talked about returning home in the following weeks as their military began to push the Russian troops back toward their border. But, significantly for me, they wanted to be sure that we, and all Americans, didn’t forget about them as the war dragged on. 

On one special evening, the families invited us to join them at the Ukrainian Independence Day rally in Warsaw’s central square.  For security reasons, events in Ukraine to recognize the country’s anniversary were canceled. Consequently, the rally in Warsaw was geographically the closest to their home country and drew thousands of people.  President Zelensky’s pre-recorded message was played for the crowd. It included emotional scenes of the war at home. Many people, including some of our volunteer group, were wiping away tears.  

Several of our group were also holding hand-made signs of solidarity for Ukraine. While our messages attracted a fair amount of attention from the crowd and the media, the most striking sign was one held by a young Ukrainian woman that stated, “Today my region was bombed 14 times.” I dare not think of what that would mean in my own town.  

Yet, despite their anguish, the Ukrainians depicted steadfast determination and hints of optimism. Their collective will to defend and retake their homeland felt like a living presence staring down the unfathomable.  

The Ukrainian refugees face more significant obstacles than we hopefully will ever know. Meanwhile, they are creating temporary lives, finding jobs, building businesses, and keeping their families emotionally together while providing support to the troops back home. 

Their resolve is inspirational. Further, I realized that working with a volunteer community engenders hope amidst the darkness. Consequently, I was energized and full of new project ideas when I returned home.

If you need a break from your routine or, maybe from burnout, consider a volunteer program that meets your interests. Whether for a few hours a week for a local organization or several weeks in the field, you will undoubtedly gain more than you give.  

Should these align with your interests, check out  Global Volunteers and Partners for World Health.