Trying new things (Day 55)
We distributed €850 worth of crowdfunded supermarket gift certificates this morning. My phone keeps exploding with all sorts of requests. Thinking of how we can fill the gaps (there are many).
By late morning I was getting photos of very colourful shopping carts. I took my eldest and we met our first group of “customers” at a discount grocery store chain bright and early at 8am this morning. I was able to buy gift cards in €50 increments, so all we had to do was tick our customers’ names off my handwritten list (neat organization is not my strong suit), and hand over the cards. We chatted about how hard it is here when on the one hand you are somewhat settled, and on the other hand, money isn’t coming in yet because I am yet to meet a single Ukrainian in Austria who is already legally employed. Because, well, Austrian bureaucracy. The grocery cards were extremely well received. If I get the phrase “could I have one for a friend” I responded nicely that the friend needs to get in touch, and get in line. We have 35 requests to process this week, and so far it looks like our budget will manage. I am thrilled to be able to help so many people with such a basic thing like affordable groceries. Something no one from Ukraine is taking for granted anymore. Especially not after seeing our prices here.
17 grocery gift cards delivered. Two women even realised they knew each other from a Kyiv suburb. From the before times. Selfies were taken! One mom arrived with her two toddlers and her husband. She is 38 weeks pregnant. A fourth child is at home. They came from St. Pölten for the grocery voucher. I took her contact details. I sent them an extra €100 from our funds. Tomorrow she goes to hospital to have her baby. Her husband got out because at least initially fathers of three or more small children were allowed out of the country. She gave me a big hug and I just looked at her in awe and admiration. What do you need help with, I asked her. Laundry detergent, she said. It’s so expensive here. It is so expensive here, I nodded. She was so positive and grateful despite the circumstances. No one who got pregnant last summer knew there would be war in spring. No one.
One woman gave me a few magazines. She was editor-in-chief. She used to run Cosmopolitan Ukraine. I was in New York once, she told me. And now I’m asking for help to buy groceries. I looked at her and said, I used to work in a bank and now I’m translating on the train station. Things change. That’s life. She then sent me this cute photo of her cat with the groceries.
The Burgenland government has an apartment for the two moms and two daughters from Kharkiv. Fingers crossed. I worked as the intermediary and then tried to pass the baton so they can contact each other directly. I am so grateful for this direct link. I really hope everything will work out.
The other mom from Donetsk already in more rural Burgenland called me and I had to have one of those conversations in which I explain I cannot be Google. Because you are many and I am one. The landlady told her she cannot go to a doctor because she is not insured yet. That is not true, I explained. Where can she get diapers and food staples? I don’t know. You need to ask the locals. I don’t know what is in that town. I already gave her some money. I know I have to teach them to help themselves. I sent links to group chats and Facebook groups.
My phone rang again. Mariupol family. The u-bahn stopped working how should we get to the train? Four people, too many bags, can’t fit in one taxi. Look for a tram or bus, I said. Ask someone there. I’m sorry.
They call again, an hour later. They are at the train station and the charity refused to let them in the cafeteria. They have a train at 3pm. I suppose the official reason was they have already eaten there (I got them in once when I was there, on the day they arrived). I was so angry I vented on social media.
When I calmed down, I called McDonalds Austria. That went nowhere. I received more individual donations. I will buy McDonalds gift cards myself (there is a McDonalds 50 meters from the ticket office on the train station) and distribute them to Ukrainians who just arrived when I am translating and helping with tickets. That way I don’t have to beg the charity anymore to get Ukrainians a hot meal. Soup it is not, but it is fine. A Big Mac never hurt anyone on an extended road trip.
I am so tired of hearing from officials why things aren’t possible. I am thinking only outside the box these days and you know what? It is working. Creative solutions work. A Russian-speaker offered to help me with admin. That would make my list-building faster and more efficient. I will let her collect the next batch of names for grocery vouchers. We can scale things. Austrians can send me grocery gift cards in the post. I don’t even have to transfer any money anywhere. I just pass the cards onwards. Today I mailed out three cards to women who couldn’t meet us in person. It is an imperfect science. I cannot measure who is needier. But with our post I can reach people stuck in rural locations. I can only try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and make sure no one goes twice until all first requests are met. And for every rule there is an exception. Like the mom about to give birth tomorrow to her fourth.
I am helping a mom find a school place for her son, texted about that. She has two offers, I explained which one I think makes more sense to accept.
A journalist from a major newspaper here and the Vienna police both contacted me after I shared this. The police are on top of it; the family is giving their testimony today. I put the journalist in touch with the family. That also took about half an hour of my time, the back and forth.
My impression is the police are taking this very seriously. I was also told the family might like to share their story as a form of therapy. I hope they do.
All in all, it was a good day. I feel like WE accomplished a lot. Because none of this would be possible without your generosity and trust in me to execute it.
This is coming. This is what I am thinking about. I am trying to move things back around so I can be back on the train station on Thursday and Friday.
It was a violent night in much of Ukraine last night. Russia’s Donbas offensive has begun.
I watched this video over and over in disbelief. I mean, I believe it, but I cannot understand it. For nothing. For absolutely nothing.
Russia is sending baby soldiers to their deaths. The stories emerging from occupied Russian territories within Ukraine are truly insane. Bringing back Lenin. Re-education campaigns. It’s not going to work. Forcing mother Russia on Ukraine never worked in the past and it won’t work now. Anyone who can will flee. These are not functioning societies. They have no public services, no police, no medicine, no functioning economy. Anyone who can get out will try to leave. It’s almost as if eight years of DNR and LNR taught them nothing. Now they want to spread the sad, sick, economically and politically bankrupt cancer across the rest of Ukraine.
Now my phone ring again about the apartment for the two moms and two daughters. Phone call in German. Phone call in Russian. Is it ok for a few days without a kitchen? I think yes but let me ask. Sometimes I cannot believe how this all ended up being my life right now but then I think about the Ukrainians and what they are going through and I think well hell this is the least I can do. The bare minimum. I have the privilege of access to information, a wide audience, and language skills. It would be a crime not to use them.
So that’s Tuesday. Let’s see what Wednesday brings. I hope to distribute 35 grocery cards in total this week at €50 each. Pretty amazing. They will really help a lot of people. And that’s just the first and hopefully not the last list.
Thank you for reading and for your continued support. The Ukrainian women have sent me many collective thank you messages today.
"Sometimes I cannot believe how this all ended up being my life right now but then I think about the Ukrainians and what they are going through and I think well hell this is the least I can do."
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. I am proud of you, Tanja. You are truly inspirational.
💜💜💜💜💜