Voice of Ukraine

From Krakow, Poland: Yes, moms, but professional women who have mobilized a community to bring aid to Ukraine.  Joy Guliani (Delta flight attendant) and Emily Hickey (nurse practitioner) have returned to Krakow, Poland, again with even more bags than last time. 

When they arrived with 10 free checked bags last time (thank you Delta Airlines and EasyJet!) we all were amazed and thankful.  This time, they arrived with 21 bags, two of which were specially designed insulated backpacks to bring insulin safely to where needed in Ukraine. 

Joy, mother of 13-year-old daughter, Acadia, did not come with her mom this time.  Last time Acadia brought her violin and regularly played the Ukrainian national anthem in the food tent at the Krakow train station before appreciative displaced Ukrainians (See: 4/23/2022 – Acadia’s gift to the Ukrainian people).  Joy recruited her best friend, Emily, mother of 3, to come to Poland to bring her medical expertise and benefit from her Maine medical connections. 

After receiving a list from the MTW Ukraine Crisis Team, Joy and Emily canvassed doctors, pharmacies, wholesalers, and other businesses to receive donations or discounted supplies whenever possible.  Joy also set up a GoFundMe account for contributions from friends, family, church members, nonprofits, local and distant businesses, and from strangers who simply desired to help.  Through this fund, Joy and Emily were able to spend $1000s here in Krakow purchasing additional needed items for the Shelter and Help Center here in Krakow and additional supplies to transport to Ukraine. 

Both Joy and Emily express thanks for supportive husbands and their husbands’ workplace colleagues who have also pitched in to enable dads to care for kid’s while moms are in Krakow doing an amazing job doing what they do so well – providing aid for Ukraine.   Joy’s words of gratitude on her recent Facebook page summarize well the team effort:

Our kids, our husbands and their work colleagues who help bear the burden of us being away, the support and prayer of our church and our friends. Donations from nonprofits, local and distant businesses, contributions from friends and strangers. This would not be possible without all of these together.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We on the MTW Ukraine Crisis Response Team in Krakow want to thank Joy and Emily, and many like them, who are helping to mobilize aid for Ukraine.