Gary Carvasso, Chairman of Coolings, has recently returned from Krakow in Poland having driven a large van full of sleeping bags, baby milk, medicines, first aid kits, tins of meat and fish plus a huge amount of pasta and rice to a rendezvous point under a bridge in the centre of Krakow, Poland, where Ukrainian minibuses were loaded with aid, having the day before dropped of refugees at the border.
Gary told GTN Xtra: “Operation brock issues in Kent caused by 1000’s of stranded lorries, along with 1,000 miles of driving in the continuous rain to get there was tedious to say the least. However, in context that’s nothing in comparison to the people who have family/friends not seen or heard from for several weeks, and no idea if their house or flat is in one piece or been looted.
“I have heard some awful and harrowing accounts from people I met. The aid was taken back over the border the same day, with now ongoing permission from the Ukrainian military. Other people I spoke to in Poland were sourcing military vests that allow metal plates to be inserted, night vision googles etc, our focus is purely humanitarian.
“My father-in-law, who used to work on and off in the Donbas region regularly 8-10 years ago, had made good friends and has led to the aid being distributed by a known charity and various churches in the country. The most recent aid was to support women and children in the northern Kyiv area.
“In one town last week 10 nappies were given to each family that required them and sadly most of the queue went away empty handed.
“Staff at Coolings have been brilliant at fundraising and Coolings is donating 10p from every customer purchase. Additional valuable support & donations continue to arrive from local businesses, individuals, churches and other charities, including Morrisons supermarket who have offered a generous discount on palletised food, babies milk and nappies.
Coolings are looking to scale up with more vans and volunteer drivers leaving on the 25th April, as many Ukrainians are generally not able to work and are finding that food and basics are scarce or ridiculously expensive.
