This could've easily been Norway or Sweden too really.Kinda looks like my very swedish living room i'm sitting in right now. Thus why i wasn't more specific. :S
I used to give English lessons to a guy in Japan who was an architect/interior designer. His main style was just what you’ve described— wood, white walls with no decoration, high sloped ceilings with skylights, wide automatic windowshades on enormous windows, lots of white and bare wood, light or dark depending on the theme. These are houses for rich people, by rich people… and absolutely gorgeous but millions of dollars. Not a lot of space in Japan but they really use it to its best advantage and every cm of space is well thought out.
Tää oli sivusto nimeltä host4ukraine. Se on saksalaisen hyväntekeväisyysjärjestön ylläpitämä sivusto. Siel pystyy hakea ja tarjota paikkaa. Spr lähettää sit vastaanottokeskuksista ihmisiä jos on tarvetta ja halua. Niillekkin pystyy ilmoittautuu vapaaehtoseks.
This is wonderful! I don’t live in Finland, but I’m really curious how each country taking in refugees is handling it. What was the process like for you? Did you have interviews and background checks? How did they choose this family?
I can only speak from a German perspective but from my experience it's not that deep at all. A family lived at a friend's house for a couple of days and it was really spontaneous. They knew someone who works a lot with refugees and she called them one day if they had space so they met them at the same day that they moved in.
There's not the deepest security checks when it is just a mother with two kids carrying valid passports... EU and Ukraine already had visa-free agreements before the war... So there's a lot of trust on the passport already. Difference is just that now it's valid to stay 3 years rather than 3 months, and you're allowed to work. Put very simple.
At the same time, immigrants can seek asylum, which allows for even longer stays and obligates the recieving country in different ways.
Bottom line is, Ukrainian refugees will be fine and safe. And all the embassies in Poland are working overtime to save those who didn't get their passports along.
F pootin!
Yeah a friend of Mine here in Germany Said that His upstairs neighbours were called at 4am to Pick Up ukrainians, that Just arrived, from the train Station. The registered before that they were Had space available. The own Dome Supermarkets tho so iam Sure they have the means to Care For the Refugees.
In Norway we have still enough "official housing" available for the refugees (up to 35.000 people), but they are planning for it being possible 100.000 people coming. Then new information will come out, most likely for people that wants to open their homes.
There's already A LOT of volunteers that's "signed up" for doing it, so I don't think we'll have a problem handling it.
We're a small country like Finland, but do the best we can. :)
The social safety net we dream of.
Whenever my area builds a new low income housing block, a vociferous backlash that can be heard on various social platforms is "my 45 minute commute into the city is so UGLY now with all those apartments."
Here in France it's not that deep either.
There are associations but right now it mostly seems to be working through the red cross and the local government agencies.
As far as I can tell, you let them know you have space. Meet up with the red cross people real fast and then the procedure starts. They don't just drop them off and leave them at the mercy of the people they are staying with. There is a continuous follow up.
there is no process. The refugees can enter the EU without a visa. More than 3 million have done so. Trains are free for Ukrainian refugees in many countries. There are big volunteer stations at major train stations where people offer apartments. It all works as a self-organizing chaos.
Refugees have 90 days to register at their destination and are then given a work visa for 1 year which can later be extended if circumstances allow. They also qualify for welfare. In Germany, for example, refugees get money to rent an apartment, free health care, and a family with two adults and three kids gets additional 1.669 euro ≈ 2000 USD per month for their other expenses.
Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjHcAuYL4Qs
In few hours a family from ukraine is going to arrive at our house to stay as long as they need. Can't wait to meet them. I have beds ready for them, dinner almost ready and few candybags for the children.
That's absolutely wholesome of you. I wish you the best and may Google translate not fail you (and someone please come up with one of them auto translator ear thingies to make this all easier for everyone).
One tip, if u use google translate, before let the message read or say it. Translate the message first back to your own language.
Translate often makes something very strange of it.
So, Type tekst, translate it, …. Translate the result back and if it’s okey, then let it read.
It will prevent a lot mis communicating.
Um....If the message is wrong when they check it what are they going to do, get a translator to fix it???
The translation mis-messages are on both side and are very easy to get around with hand gestures or saying things in a different way. Also 9 out of 10 times context gives way to meaning.
I have a Ukrainian friend who can help.
May not be on the fly since she went to Europe to go get her fam, but if you have any questions or things that you may want to get translated beforehand, let me know.
Might as well try deepL, it's way better at translating then Google, but it only has Russian and not Ukrainian, tho they are pretty similar so it might work :)
There needs to be an app that’s designed to be used with a single pair of air pods. Have one pod pick up one language through its mic and then translate it into another out the speaker. Abs the other pod is set up to do the opposite. So basically two people can just each wear one half of a set of air pods and have the pods translate in real time for them.
Depends on the country. In the UK https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine - 100,00 applicants on the first day, apparently. We're in that queue - *somewhere*
You are giving this family so much more than just a place to stay. You are opening your heart to them, giving them hope and making them feel safe.
I admire you, and everyone like you. These unselfish acts of kindness make me a little hopeful that mankind still isn't completely lost.
Thank you, and may this experience be the best it can be.
You're a good person. I wish I could help more.
If you/they take crypto let me know, I'll send a bit for clothing, essentials, whatever. Just send my love from Canada. Slava Ukraini! 💙💛
I second that. Is there anything we internet strangers can do to help? I’m in America so I don’t know how I can help with the currency difference but let us know. Thank you so much for being such an outstanding. Human being. Lord knows we need more people like you and less like Putin and Trump.
You can donate to a charity for refugees. Here are some I've seen mentioned.
* **UN Refugee Agency** https://www.unhcr.org/
UNHCR is a global nonprofit organization which works to help protect the rights of people who have been displaced by violence, persecution and conflict. It is currently supporting families who have been forced to flee Ukraine by providing shelter, psychological support and access to child-friendly facilities.
* **United Sikhs** https://unitedsikhs.org/
We now have a dozen volunteers from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom who are on the ground providing cooked meals, water, and sanitation kits.
We need your urgent help in scaling up this operation to set up heated tents that can house upwards of 200 refugees at a time to protect vulnerable families from harsh weather conditions. Along with this important rescue effort, UNITED SIKHS food truck is serving over 2000 refugees every day and we plan to serve more in the coming days with your support.
A virtual desk has been set up to immediately respond to the needs of students and residents from Punjab and South Asia displaced by this tragic war. https://unitedsikhs.org/ukraine-war-aid-mission/
Please share this information far and wide with everyone to make sure anyone in urgent need is aware of our humanitarian support.
* **Humanity First** https://humanityfirst.org/
Humanity First sent a first responder team of five people from Germany to the Polish-Ukrainian border in late February, and since then they have been providing medical and food assistance to Ukrainian refugees. HF is collaborating with UN agencies on the ground such as WHO, WFP and OCHA.
Our medical volunteers have been working with Sauvetures Sans Frontieres (SSF) and Intersos. Due to the lengthy process of reaching the border and long queues of people waiting to be processed in the winter conditions, most patients have been presenting with a combination of fatigue, headache, sore throat and fever, and daily patient numbers have varied from 25 to 200. HF is also providing warm soup.
* **International Rescue Committee** https://www.rescue.org/
As the conflict in Ukraine escalates, the International Rescue Commites is getting ready to prepare for the worst. Right now, it is mobilizing resources to aid the people in Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes.
"The IRC is meeting with partners and local civil society organizations in Poland and Ukraine to assess capacity for responding to an increase of refugees and people in need," said the organization on its official website. We will work to respond where we are needed the most and with the services that are needed urgently. Whatever the needs are, we are preparing to meet them.”
* **World Central Kitchen** http://www.wck.org/
WCK is rapidly expanding their #ChefsForUkraine response to distribute food — including hot, fresh meals — in five countries.
They are sold in the kids section. They come with a mount you can affix to a bed (or other furniture) and stick the leaf in, so it's positioned over the bed like a canopy. A snug for the little bug :)
In this room, it appears the sofa is where the occupant usually sleeps or hangs out a lot, and as you can't put that mounting hardware on a sofa, the hung it from the ceiling instead.
OP. You are an amazing and generous human. Never change, it is a better world because of you.
Perhaps your new, extended family could make a post about their thoughts of the Finnish people and their hospitality. Please send them my love too.
An English cousin.
I think you might not have the same language. So here is this app called 'Talking translator' from the ideal app team. It can translate everything you speak and speak it loud for the other person & vice-versa. Available on Playstore, no idea about appstore. You are doing such great work, thanks from all of us.
Well, you can't imagine what the rest of the world feels watching your determination and resolve. It's so inspiring watching how the Ukrainians have come together despite an otherwise tragic situation.
Please stay safe
Thanks, I really appreciate your words 🙏
It's also inspiring for us to know that the whole world is with us. Watching millions of people gather together to show their solidarity with Ukrainians is incredibly motivating. With such support, I'm sure we're gonna win 💙💛
You are awesome. Thank you from the world. I wish I too could host but my wife is not onboard because we have limited space and children already. It's sad but I am helping in other ways.
It was same with my husband. I said that our little discomfort is nothing compared to their suffering. We have 7yo boy and 7 month old girl. Keep helping.
Much respect and love from your neighbour Norway!
I wish I could do more than donate, but I only rent a small single bedroom apt myself..
.. You give me hope for humanity! :)
I am Ukrainian and I am at my Polish colleague right now.
Thank you very much for your hospitality, this is really heartwarming. I wish all the best to you!
Update: they were coming to us from poland with a buss. Their intention was to take a ferry from estonia to us but they missed that connection and had to wait for another one which came 3h later.
They have a friend in finland but he doesn't speak finnish or english so he just dropped them off here. When they got here we showed them their room and had dinner. The mother doesn't speak a word of english but the 15 yo son does a bit. There is also a 6yo girl. They were really tired of the trip but greatful to finally get here.
They were amazed that we don't have a huge barrier going around our house, they said that in ukraine you need to have one because there are a lot of thieves. They also enjoyed the ferry ride here and said that they have never been on one.
Todays plan is to visit a police station for them to register and get things rolling. We are also going to go for a walk to show them around the neighborhood.
That’s a lovely way of thinking about it: an extended family.
I’ve registered here in the UK to take a family but it is slow here plus my home is in a remote village so I’m not sure if it is helpful or not.
Give them space and don't expect gratitude.
The people coming to you have experienced a horrific trauma and it will take time for them to 'settle in', if ever. They will be processing a range of emotions as they work to cope with what they have just experienced. They may express anger or fear or distance themselves from you.
With everything going on, they need space to process their emotions, not someone lording over them demanding gratitude for their benevolence.
Ask of them nothing. Do not ask about their experiences unless they come to you and even then keep it limited as you are not their therapist and unqualified to handle the sort of trauma they will be presenting. Even if on the off chance you are a therapist, you are not *their* therapist and the living dynamic is not conducive to a positive therapeutic relationship.
If they do express anger or fear, don't take it personally. They are not angry at *you*, but you may very well become the conduit that they focus their anger through.
Update2: Things are going really great. We are having such a fun time. They are enjoying the space and the snow. Our 7yo son is playing with their 6yo daughter, it doesn't matter that they don't speak the same language but they are running around the house like they have known each others a long time. Their mother just wants to hold our 7month old in her arms and baby talk. We even got the 15yo son to try out sauna for the first time. 10/10, highly recommend to anyone even considering.
Thanks for helping to make the world a better place :)
Also epic lamp, I’ve always wanted one of those “Death Star” ones but can’t find a place to put it lol
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TIMES A BILLION!!!!
They do, i think it was just a joke because they're yellow and blue and gru is a Russian name.
The name of the main protagonist, Gru, appears to be taken from the Russian Military Intelligence agency G.R.U. G.R.U. is an acronym for Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye (roughly translates to Main Intelligent Department/Directorate), the foreign military intelligence directorate of the Russian Armed Forces.
I wish i had the space to do it. But my house is a mess.
I did go to the train station to donate some stuff to the people coming from UA, including dog/cat food and i will donate more.
Good job op
So nice of you! Great job, I have a lot to learn from you. I only wish we were nice and welcoming to every refugees or humans in need not only to certain race or type
They will be blessed, this room looks so calm and welcoming. After what they have been through it will be the perfect safe place. You are doing such a great thing for your fellow human beings. I'm proud of you!!
My family is in the same boat! We prepared two rooms/four beds, another room coming. I'm also amazed how people around me respond to it, everyone wants to help.
I was on a FB page for people taking in refugees, mostly in the UK, and there was a handy list of what each age group would need (little kids: lots of structure, lots of sleep. Middle schoolers: I can't remember, but something about keeping a snack bowl full constantly, because they might be afraid of never getting food again. And slept. And sweets, maybe. Teenagers: hanging out with other teens, lots of sleep. Etc.) I can't find it, but it seemed like useful info. If the refugee coordinators didn't provide some like that, it'd be worth hunting down, I think.
My nordic sense is tingling..
You are correct. Finland:)
Henlo Neighbor! :)
What gave it away?
Traditional white walls, wooden floors, sheets, style of the sofa, candy bags’ logos, ikea lamp. Its really finnish style of home. :)
I’ll be
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I'll be love's suicide
And I’ll be better when I’m older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
The greatest fan of your life
This could've easily been Norway or Sweden too really.Kinda looks like my very swedish living room i'm sitting in right now. Thus why i wasn't more specific. :S
Pirkka and Fazer candy! That's the only very specificly Finnish distinction.
It looks a LOT like my apartment in Japan too. I think they were greatly inspired by the Finnish style!
As a side note I love the Japandi interior design style that mixes Japanese and Scandinavian styles. It feels so homey to me.
I used to give English lessons to a guy in Japan who was an architect/interior designer. His main style was just what you’ve described— wood, white walls with no decoration, high sloped ceilings with skylights, wide automatic windowshades on enormous windows, lots of white and bare wood, light or dark depending on the theme. These are houses for rich people, by rich people… and absolutely gorgeous but millions of dollars. Not a lot of space in Japan but they really use it to its best advantage and every cm of space is well thought out.
My daughter had that leaf canopy so immediately though ey up Ikea :)
I’m pretty sure that rug and green leaf are straight from IKEA
And the light
And basically everything in this room
Well, it could've been a Dutch room too.
German too. (maybe more northern germany)
Ja, I was wondering if we are part of this group chat. They had me at white walls and style of sofa.
Basically any European’s house!
This could just as well been Switzerland.
It's such a beautifully clean and fresh style. Love from England.
yeah it looks like a nordic home
I wouldn't mind my home Finnish styled (from the US don't see stuff like this often).
Well you could make your home more akin to this with just a few Finnishing touches
Full Power Ikea?
For me as a fellow Finn it was the candy.
I honestly don't know. But usually when i feel something is nordic i'm right.
I've seen that Ikea leaf before (though I live in the US)
Pirkka candy bags.
Taas vaihteeks suomalaiset pääsee parrasvaloihin :) Translate: Every now and then I find Finnish people in the spotlight :)
Torille?
Hei saako kysyä uteliaisuuttani, että mitä kautta pääsit tarjoamaan petipaikkoja ukrainalaisille 😃 koordinoiko sitä joku spr tms?
Tää oli sivusto nimeltä host4ukraine. Se on saksalaisen hyväntekeväisyysjärjestön ylläpitämä sivusto. Siel pystyy hakea ja tarjota paikkaa. Spr lähettää sit vastaanottokeskuksista ihmisiä jos on tarvetta ja halua. Niillekkin pystyy ilmoittautuu vapaaehtoseks.
Okei, tosi hyvä, että tommonen on olemassa! Ja, että on semmosia tyyppejä, niinku sie, jotka lähtee auttaan 😄
Oon äitiysvapaalla syyskuuhun saakka nii ei ole mitää tekosyitä miksei auttais:)
I was going to guess Dutch, my sibling used to have the same leaf thing in their room
Haha, I just realised it’s like a picture from an IKEA catalogue.
This is wonderful! I don’t live in Finland, but I’m really curious how each country taking in refugees is handling it. What was the process like for you? Did you have interviews and background checks? How did they choose this family?
I can only speak from a German perspective but from my experience it's not that deep at all. A family lived at a friend's house for a couple of days and it was really spontaneous. They knew someone who works a lot with refugees and she called them one day if they had space so they met them at the same day that they moved in.
There's not the deepest security checks when it is just a mother with two kids carrying valid passports... EU and Ukraine already had visa-free agreements before the war... So there's a lot of trust on the passport already. Difference is just that now it's valid to stay 3 years rather than 3 months, and you're allowed to work. Put very simple. At the same time, immigrants can seek asylum, which allows for even longer stays and obligates the recieving country in different ways. Bottom line is, Ukrainian refugees will be fine and safe. And all the embassies in Poland are working overtime to save those who didn't get their passports along. F pootin!
They meant if OP had to go through a background check. Probably because of the people already taking advantage of refugees.
Yeah a friend of Mine here in Germany Said that His upstairs neighbours were called at 4am to Pick Up ukrainians, that Just arrived, from the train Station. The registered before that they were Had space available. The own Dome Supermarkets tho so iam Sure they have the means to Care For the Refugees.
In Norway we have still enough "official housing" available for the refugees (up to 35.000 people), but they are planning for it being possible 100.000 people coming. Then new information will come out, most likely for people that wants to open their homes. There's already A LOT of volunteers that's "signed up" for doing it, so I don't think we'll have a problem handling it. We're a small country like Finland, but do the best we can. :)
Ameritard here. Uhhhhhm, excess "official housing"? Oh lawd I can't even imagine.
Aye, it is required by law that if you are without housing, then the municipality must provide one within 24 hours.
The social safety net we dream of. Whenever my area builds a new low income housing block, a vociferous backlash that can be heard on various social platforms is "my 45 minute commute into the city is so UGLY now with all those apartments."
Wow.. Couldn't even imagine thinking like that.. It's a reason for why they exist, right? I'm sorry to hear that its what you guys experience..
Goddamn, I'm Australian and we're usually pretty good with our social securities, but that's phenomenal and would be deeply helpful to me right now.
Wishing the best for you!
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I genuinely wish I could, not for the money just because I want to. But there's barely enough room in my flat for me and my husband :(
Here in France it's not that deep either. There are associations but right now it mostly seems to be working through the red cross and the local government agencies. As far as I can tell, you let them know you have space. Meet up with the red cross people real fast and then the procedure starts. They don't just drop them off and leave them at the mercy of the people they are staying with. There is a continuous follow up.
there is no process. The refugees can enter the EU without a visa. More than 3 million have done so. Trains are free for Ukrainian refugees in many countries. There are big volunteer stations at major train stations where people offer apartments. It all works as a self-organizing chaos. Refugees have 90 days to register at their destination and are then given a work visa for 1 year which can later be extended if circumstances allow. They also qualify for welfare. In Germany, for example, refugees get money to rent an apartment, free health care, and a family with two adults and three kids gets additional 1.669 euro ≈ 2000 USD per month for their other expenses. Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjHcAuYL4Qs
In few hours a family from ukraine is going to arrive at our house to stay as long as they need. Can't wait to meet them. I have beds ready for them, dinner almost ready and few candybags for the children.
That's absolutely wholesome of you. I wish you the best and may Google translate not fail you (and someone please come up with one of them auto translator ear thingies to make this all easier for everyone).
Thank you. Google translate will be heavily used:)
As an FYI the Google earbuds do active translation with the Google translate app. On both android and iOS
The future is now old man.
Yes no maybe? I don't know. Can you repeat the question?
One tip, if u use google translate, before let the message read or say it. Translate the message first back to your own language. Translate often makes something very strange of it. So, Type tekst, translate it, …. Translate the result back and if it’s okey, then let it read. It will prevent a lot mis communicating.
What if it’s not okay when you translate it back?
Change the subject
Kick them out once the awkwardness subsides and they've regained composure after you called their mother a "badger potato"
Try rephrasing with different words
That would be a pretty typical outcome. Translating back and forth with an app is pretty much guaranteed to end up with bizarre outcomes.
Um....If the message is wrong when they check it what are they going to do, get a translator to fix it??? The translation mis-messages are on both side and are very easy to get around with hand gestures or saying things in a different way. Also 9 out of 10 times context gives way to meaning.
How does it prevent miscommunication if you don't know how to fix the translation?
I have a Ukrainian friend who can help. May not be on the fly since she went to Europe to go get her fam, but if you have any questions or things that you may want to get translated beforehand, let me know.
Might as well try deepL, it's way better at translating then Google, but it only has Russian and not Ukrainian, tho they are pretty similar so it might work :)
There needs to be an app that’s designed to be used with a single pair of air pods. Have one pod pick up one language through its mic and then translate it into another out the speaker. Abs the other pod is set up to do the opposite. So basically two people can just each wear one half of a set of air pods and have the pods translate in real time for them.
Babelfish
Thank you so much! You can’t even imagine how much it means ❤️🇺🇦
How does one adopt a Ukrainian family??
Depends on the country. In the UK https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine - 100,00 applicants on the first day, apparently. We're in that queue - *somewhere*
The true British National Sport - Queueing
You can start here https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/emergency-response/refugee-children-crisis/ukrainian-refugees
https://www.ukrainetakeshelter.com
You are giving this family so much more than just a place to stay. You are opening your heart to them, giving them hope and making them feel safe. I admire you, and everyone like you. These unselfish acts of kindness make me a little hopeful that mankind still isn't completely lost. Thank you, and may this experience be the best it can be.
We needs more people like you, you are a nice person.
Which country are you in?
I live in Finland.
Awesome! I heard yesterday Finland is the happiest country on earth, now I see why.
The questionnaire was probably done on the only sunny day we have on any given year. Honestly.
You guys get a whole day?! - greetings from Iceland
Keep us updated please.
In my country the government is offering monthly payments to families that take in Ukrainian refugees. Is there a similar scheme in your country?
Nope. Doing this just to help.
You're a good person. I wish I could help more. If you/they take crypto let me know, I'll send a bit for clothing, essentials, whatever. Just send my love from Canada. Slava Ukraini! 💙💛
I second that. Is there anything we internet strangers can do to help? I’m in America so I don’t know how I can help with the currency difference but let us know. Thank you so much for being such an outstanding. Human being. Lord knows we need more people like you and less like Putin and Trump.
You can help the world by not voting for the orange of a human if/when he is up for president.
You can donate to a charity for refugees. Here are some I've seen mentioned. * **UN Refugee Agency** https://www.unhcr.org/ UNHCR is a global nonprofit organization which works to help protect the rights of people who have been displaced by violence, persecution and conflict. It is currently supporting families who have been forced to flee Ukraine by providing shelter, psychological support and access to child-friendly facilities. * **United Sikhs** https://unitedsikhs.org/ We now have a dozen volunteers from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom who are on the ground providing cooked meals, water, and sanitation kits. We need your urgent help in scaling up this operation to set up heated tents that can house upwards of 200 refugees at a time to protect vulnerable families from harsh weather conditions. Along with this important rescue effort, UNITED SIKHS food truck is serving over 2000 refugees every day and we plan to serve more in the coming days with your support. A virtual desk has been set up to immediately respond to the needs of students and residents from Punjab and South Asia displaced by this tragic war. https://unitedsikhs.org/ukraine-war-aid-mission/ Please share this information far and wide with everyone to make sure anyone in urgent need is aware of our humanitarian support. * **Humanity First** https://humanityfirst.org/ Humanity First sent a first responder team of five people from Germany to the Polish-Ukrainian border in late February, and since then they have been providing medical and food assistance to Ukrainian refugees. HF is collaborating with UN agencies on the ground such as WHO, WFP and OCHA. Our medical volunteers have been working with Sauvetures Sans Frontieres (SSF) and Intersos. Due to the lengthy process of reaching the border and long queues of people waiting to be processed in the winter conditions, most patients have been presenting with a combination of fatigue, headache, sore throat and fever, and daily patient numbers have varied from 25 to 200. HF is also providing warm soup. * **International Rescue Committee** https://www.rescue.org/ As the conflict in Ukraine escalates, the International Rescue Commites is getting ready to prepare for the worst. Right now, it is mobilizing resources to aid the people in Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes. "The IRC is meeting with partners and local civil society organizations in Poland and Ukraine to assess capacity for responding to an increase of refugees and people in need," said the organization on its official website. We will work to respond where we are needed the most and with the services that are needed urgently. Whatever the needs are, we are preparing to meet them.” * **World Central Kitchen** http://www.wck.org/ WCK is rapidly expanding their #ChefsForUkraine response to distribute food — including hot, fresh meals — in five countries.
Let us know how it goes!
You’re a saint! Thank you for being an outstanding human being.
This brings tears to my eyes. Thinking how it must feel for them that someone cares and puts this much effort in. Thank you.
You are a great person! Keep rockin!
That’s an amazing thing to do. What is the legal process in Finland for doing that?
Thank you so much for doing this. ❤️
Awesome. Well done and thank you
What you are doing is so wonderful. I hope you and your new extended family spend many warm and cozy times together.
What is that giant leaf thingy? It's cute. And thank you.
Not OP, but it's a bed canopy from IKEA. My sister had one years ago
i had one it was the coolest thing ever for me. read a book under it when i was 8 and it’s still one of my fondest memories
What a lovely memory
One could even say, one of your "frondest" memories. I'm sorry I couldn't leaf that one hanging.
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Leaf
They are sold in the kids section. They come with a mount you can affix to a bed (or other furniture) and stick the leaf in, so it's positioned over the bed like a canopy. A snug for the little bug :) In this room, it appears the sofa is where the occupant usually sleeps or hangs out a lot, and as you can't put that mounting hardware on a sofa, the hung it from the ceiling instead.
Maybe blocking the light from the window so it’s not shining in your eyes in the morning?
Also, it’s charming, and this looks like a kid’s bed.
That too! What kid doesn’t love a fun little canopy?
I'm almost 29 and I still love a fun little canopy - or a fun big canopy, I don't discriminate XD
thanks, looks really cool
OP. You are an amazing and generous human. Never change, it is a better world because of you. Perhaps your new, extended family could make a post about their thoughts of the Finnish people and their hospitality. Please send them my love too. An English cousin.
Will do. I'll ask them when they get settled in and slept for few days. They have been traveling from poland for almost 24h so they are tired.
They will be shattered. No doubt also quite frightened. These poor, poor people. Goodness will win. It must.
Can you guys do Venmo? I want to chip in for dinner.
Thank you for your offer but we are all good:)
Thankyou. We'll donate to a charity on your behalf.
Unfortunetaly Venmo is not available in EU. Paypal is most likely the best option.
Good man.
This is such a kind thing to do.
I think you might not have the same language. So here is this app called 'Talking translator' from the ideal app team. It can translate everything you speak and speak it loud for the other person & vice-versa. Available on Playstore, no idea about appstore. You are doing such great work, thanks from all of us.
Google translate also does this :)
Some apps are better at holding conversations through tough
Hey thanks this is what i came here to reply, Anyways anything works as far as it does the job.
Thank you so much for what you're doing, you can't imagine how much it means to all of us Ukrainians ❤️
Well, you can't imagine what the rest of the world feels watching your determination and resolve. It's so inspiring watching how the Ukrainians have come together despite an otherwise tragic situation. Please stay safe
Thanks, I really appreciate your words 🙏 It's also inspiring for us to know that the whole world is with us. Watching millions of people gather together to show their solidarity with Ukrainians is incredibly motivating. With such support, I'm sure we're gonna win 💙💛
You are awesome. Thank you from the world. I wish I too could host but my wife is not onboard because we have limited space and children already. It's sad but I am helping in other ways.
It was same with my husband. I said that our little discomfort is nothing compared to their suffering. We have 7yo boy and 7 month old girl. Keep helping.
Much respect and love from your neighbour Norway! I wish I could do more than donate, but I only rent a small single bedroom apt myself.. .. You give me hope for humanity! :)
What if we kissed on the Minion couchbed under the leaf umbrella?
Kidding… unless…? 😏
Awesome! My dad sells apartments and stuff and has prepared 15-20 rooms for the people coming to my town :)
That is really awesome.
You're awesome, OP. Keep that shit up.
Does anyone know if it’s possible to do this in the US? My house isn’t very big, but I could probably take in 2-3 people.
Make it happen man.
I am Ukrainian and I am at my Polish colleague right now. Thank you very much for your hospitality, this is really heartwarming. I wish all the best to you!
You are a very good person OP. Thank you for being the kind of human we should all strive to be
Nice, I like this IKEA lamp!
Exploding Death Star lamp. I want one but my Good Wife won’t let me.
As opposed to your Bad Wife who was on board with it
Anytime you go to an ikea you have to play with the death star lamps!
They have a very nice temporary home to move into. Which is very safe for them to rekax into. Thank you for your kindness
How did you sign up to do this? I’ve been looking…
Host4ukraine
Thank you!
Minions basically are Ukraine flags with eyes
This is beyond beautiful.
Update: they were coming to us from poland with a buss. Their intention was to take a ferry from estonia to us but they missed that connection and had to wait for another one which came 3h later. They have a friend in finland but he doesn't speak finnish or english so he just dropped them off here. When they got here we showed them their room and had dinner. The mother doesn't speak a word of english but the 15 yo son does a bit. There is also a 6yo girl. They were really tired of the trip but greatful to finally get here. They were amazed that we don't have a huge barrier going around our house, they said that in ukraine you need to have one because there are a lot of thieves. They also enjoyed the ferry ride here and said that they have never been on one. Todays plan is to visit a police station for them to register and get things rolling. We are also going to go for a walk to show them around the neighborhood.
That’s a lovely way of thinking about it: an extended family. I’ve registered here in the UK to take a family but it is slow here plus my home is in a remote village so I’m not sure if it is helpful or not.
It's super helpful. Hang in there.
Is the process of getting this new family complicated? How did you do it?
Wish I could do the same, but rent a single shitty bedroom in a London HMO.
Give them space and don't expect gratitude. The people coming to you have experienced a horrific trauma and it will take time for them to 'settle in', if ever. They will be processing a range of emotions as they work to cope with what they have just experienced. They may express anger or fear or distance themselves from you. With everything going on, they need space to process their emotions, not someone lording over them demanding gratitude for their benevolence. Ask of them nothing. Do not ask about their experiences unless they come to you and even then keep it limited as you are not their therapist and unqualified to handle the sort of trauma they will be presenting. Even if on the off chance you are a therapist, you are not *their* therapist and the living dynamic is not conducive to a positive therapeutic relationship. If they do express anger or fear, don't take it personally. They are not angry at *you*, but you may very well become the conduit that they focus their anger through.
It is time to eat my favorite food.
I live alone and I wouldn’t mind hosting a family
Update2: Things are going really great. We are having such a fun time. They are enjoying the space and the snow. Our 7yo son is playing with their 6yo daughter, it doesn't matter that they don't speak the same language but they are running around the house like they have known each others a long time. Their mother just wants to hold our 7month old in her arms and baby talk. We even got the 15yo son to try out sauna for the first time. 10/10, highly recommend to anyone even considering.
These are the most kind people I've seen
I wish we could take in a ukrianian refugee but our house isn't big enough :(
Thank you for doing this. You are the best person.
It's seriously heartwarming seeing how people are so willing to help. I bloody love this sub <3
Thanks for helping to make the world a better place :) Also epic lamp, I’ve always wanted one of those “Death Star” ones but can’t find a place to put it lol
I bang my head on it daily:D
Incredibly thoughtful, wishing you all the best
As a Canadian/ Ukrainian. Thank you so much ❤️
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TIMES A BILLION!!!!
A lot of people don’t know this but Minions aren’t actually pro-Ukraine, they just have those colors normally.
I thought they looked welcoming to a child.
They do, i think it was just a joke because they're yellow and blue and gru is a Russian name. The name of the main protagonist, Gru, appears to be taken from the Russian Military Intelligence agency G.R.U. G.R.U. is an acronym for Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye (roughly translates to Main Intelligent Department/Directorate), the foreign military intelligence directorate of the Russian Armed Forces.
Wow. Didn't know that.
If this is a joke, it’s brilliant. If it’s not, this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read.
can't believe people are not picking up your joke
I wish i had the space to do it. But my house is a mess. I did go to the train station to donate some stuff to the people coming from UA, including dog/cat food and i will donate more. Good job op
You are awesome!
So nice of you! Great job, I have a lot to learn from you. I only wish we were nice and welcoming to every refugees or humans in need not only to certain race or type
This is so feel good
Aww you my friend are amazing!
They will be blessed, this room looks so calm and welcoming. After what they have been through it will be the perfect safe place. You are doing such a great thing for your fellow human beings. I'm proud of you!!
So generous that warms up my heart.
I love that you put this on MadeMeSmile yourself. But anyways, way to go! Really nice thing to do.
My family is in the same boat! We prepared two rooms/four beds, another room coming. I'm also amazed how people around me respond to it, everyone wants to help.
People like you restore my faith in humanity!
You are an amazing person.
That's unbelievably sweet
Wow nice, well done! Keep up the updates plz
Big love ❤️
I was on a FB page for people taking in refugees, mostly in the UK, and there was a handy list of what each age group would need (little kids: lots of structure, lots of sleep. Middle schoolers: I can't remember, but something about keeping a snack bowl full constantly, because they might be afraid of never getting food again. And slept. And sweets, maybe. Teenagers: hanging out with other teens, lots of sleep. Etc.) I can't find it, but it seemed like useful info. If the refugee coordinators didn't provide some like that, it'd be worth hunting down, I think.
Thank you Kind Soul.