Sickened by everything she was seeing on the news about the brutal murders of innocent people in Ukraine, local resident, Marsha Ramsey, decided that instead of lying awake at night in her home and thinking about the horror of the war, she needed to do whatever she could to help.
She is now volunteering with World Central Kitchen in Przemysl, Poland, which is about eight miles from the Ukrainian border where the refugees come through. She was able to get one of the few remaining openings with World Central Kitchen within a week after she arrived. The Kitchen provides food for all refugees, as well as people in Ukraine.
“To date, there have been 3.2 million meals served to refugees from this location of WCK since the beginning of the war,” Ramsey said. “We work 11-12 hours daily for four days in a row and one day off. Either in the morning before I go to the kitchen or after I leave the kitchen, I go to the train station, welcome center or border and check in with people I have met that know what the needs are, and I try to help in anyway possible.”
Ramsey brought many items with her to Poland, including noise reducing headphones for children, to soften the terrifying sounds of bombing and shelling. She also brought hand and feet warmers, rawhide for dogs, games, crayons and other items to take their minds off the chaos.
“Since being here I have purchased lots of suitcases because many of the refugees abandoned the one suitcase they had trying to get to the border because they couldn’t handle that and children, and/or it was too heavy, or they simply didn’t even leave their homes with one,” Ramsey said. “Once they get across the border there are necessities given to them and they need suitcases to put the items in to go to their next destination.”
The day she decided she would go to Poland she made her flight reservation online and went online to find a room to stay in. The room she found is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from the city in which she works and volunteers.
She met someone in Poland who has helped her in translating and she is looking for ways to order a large amount of suitcases to be shipped to Przmeysl, as only six fit in her car at a time.
“I have purchased 500 pairs of women’s underwear, 250 bras, hundreds of bottles of shampoo and lotion, cell phones, tarps/plastic to use at the border because refugees have to stand in rain for hours waiting to cross and there was only about 15 feet of covering. I purchased enough poles, plastic, tarps, hooks etc. to extend it about 100 feet. I have placed 19 refugees in homes throughout Poland and I’m now working on finding places in other countries. Finding housing is somewhat of a problem and takes way longer than it should - these refugees need to get settled, have a sense of security and shelter. They are sleeping on floors in stadiums, railroad stations, shopping centers. These places are loud with hundreds, if not thousands of people trying to sleep, get something to eat, trying to contact family, figuring out where they are going, etc. It is exhausting and heartbreaking all because of one murderous man. Red tape and not having all the paperwork or correct paperwork tremendously slows the process down. If refugees are going to a European Union country it is seemingly easy, compared to going anywhere else, to include the United States.”
Ramsay has only been able to cross the border into Ukraine once. She saw there was barely any cover over a long line of people.
“I went to a person with a Ukranian agency on the Ukraine side of the border and with passport and verification of their agency I was able to cross,” Ramsey said. “Since then they have really tightened the borders. For the first time I am going to be serving meals tonight on the Ukrainian side of the border, as the wait is so long to get across the border and they need food, so food service locations are increasing.”
Most of the humanitarian agencies in the area have no connections to those on the ground fighting.
While helping people in Ukraine was her mission, Ramsey has seen first-hand the continual suffering and challenges the refugees face on a daily basis.
“The first time I saw the long lines with children crying, mothers trying to take care of a suitcase and children and pets, while standing in line in the rain for five to six hours after traveling for hours and hours was hard, really hard, and then I went to the train station and it was full of refugees - it hit me hard - my heart broke for each and every refugee I saw,” Ramsey said. “I don’t think I will ever be able to describe what I feel. I am angry, I am heartbroken, and the reasons for the anger is heartbreaking. It isn’t fair - these innocent refugees are suffering because of hate and greed. It is wrong. It is something I, nor most of the world will ever be able to fully understand or comprehend.”
Ramsey worked in surgical/medical sales in North Kansas City and Parkville and in recent years has been a volunteer and advocate for those who need a voice in Kansas City.
One of her regrets in life came after her father’s death. He served in World War II and Ramsey said she had not spent enough time talking to him about what he experienced in the war.
“It was a very important time in his life, as it was for all men and women in the war,” Ramsey said. “Perhaps one of the reasons I came to the border was to attempt to understand war and what my dad and all people that have fought in wars have gone through. I don’t know. I do know though that I, nor anyone not being in the war can begin to comprehend what they went through or are going through.”
Even though she is only eight miles from Ukraine’s border, she feels secure. “Poland is part of NATO, so at this time I feel safe,” Ramsey said.
While people around the world who watch the war’s coverage on the news see the Ukrainians as strong, stoic, and determined to protect their country from the Russians, Ramsey said, that may be true, but behind that there are many emotions.
“They are strong right now because they have to be. They are in a state of crisis. Only time will tell what the long-term effects will be. This isn’t a sprint for the Ukrainians, it is a marathon. It will be decades of recovery.”
Because of how quickly the war began and the sudden mass exodus of refugees, no agency was fully prepared for what was happening. Ramsey said that every person in Ukraine has different challenges. And while some have the options of staying with relatives in other cities and countries, many may not have the means to get there with their families. Some have no idea what they will do, or where they will go.
“One person may need a stroller, one may need medical attention, etc.,” Ramsey said. “Personally, for me, the most frustrating part is trying to find homes, hotels or apartments for refugees and unfortunately it seems from just three weeks ago, rent and or prices for rooms have gone up and there are few.”
Heartbreaking events occur on a daily basis as refugees flood into Poland. Ramsey said there are way too many that have happened in her brief experience helping the refugees.
“One day I was on the platform at a train station and heard a woman screaming and I turned around and she had just pulled her suitcase up a stairway after getting off a train. She had fallen to the ground screaming hysterically. I had no idea why she was screaming, or what was happening and felt helpless, but many people ran to her. After everything settled I was told she had boarded a train with her one-year-old son and there were so many people packed in the train that she was afraid he would get crushed so she put him in her suitcase. She wanted to have someone help her open it to see if he was alive. He was alive and the hysteria went to a yelling cry of joy.”
Ramsey plans to stay in Poland as long as she can help. Her hope is that the people of Ukraine will be able to live the rest of their lives with peace. A peaceful country. A peaceful mind and a peaceful heart. And that they will feel the embrace of the world by actions and not just words.
To donate to help with food and lodging for Ukrainian refugees go to GoFundMe under Marsha Ramsey and title: ‘Trip to Ukraine border,’ or Venmo, under Marsha-Ramsey, or PayPal under marsharamsey@yahoo.com.