Deirdre O Meara 
At the end of February, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been generating tension between the two countries for years, took a turn for the worse. The whole world was shaken by the violent actions of the Russian government on Ukrainian territory, and the people who live there are the ones in the worst situation imaginable.
However, it is at times like this that people show their greatest gestures of solidarity, and millions of people from all around the world are working to help Ukrainians in various ways.
There is not enough information that would direct potential local volunteers and show them how to help. In this article, we will tell you more about an Irish charity that is working day and night to help Ukrainians in Ireland, and you can also join them.
The charity is called Safe Harbour for Ukraine, and it is an organization that was created by a group of friends with the intention of helping as many Ukrainians as they can.
From the start, founders were looking for solutions that will help make a change and offer aid to Ukrainians directly from Ireland. They discovered two main ways in which they could help others, even despite the geographical distance.
One of the ways they found of helping was by looking for donations on GoFundMe, which has already managed to get more than 400 people to donate money to help Ukrainians, raising a partial number of 80 thousand euros. The money raised thanks to the donations on this page was used to send a bus full of products to the border between Ukraine and Poland on Saint Patrick’s Day. Furthermore, the bus returned to Ireland 5 days later with Ukrainian children and women who will be refugees here. If you want to, you can donate by clicking on the following link https://gofund.me/a05fce60
In addition, Safe Harbor for Ukraine is also receiving donations of all kinds of supplies that can help Ukrainians who are arriving in Ireland, and also those who are still in Ukraine. You can collect non-perishable food, clothing, coats, first emergency kits, among other things, and send them. You just have to pack them in a cardboard box or in transparent plastic bags, name them with a label to make it easier to identify what they have inside, and send them to any of the following addresses: Cronin’s Coaches in Cork (Eircode: T23 A0CX), or Dennehy Motors in Limerick (V94 FYY6)
But that’s not everything, the organization also continues to look for people to volunteer to host Ukrainian refugees. For those feeling the war, help can come in form of offering a room to stay.
To apply as a host for Ukrainian refugees, you can go to the official site of Safe Harbor for Ukraine. Being an official site, it guarantees security for you when receiving refugees. You can do so by entering the following link https://safeharbourforukraine.org/
One generous thing you can do is host refugee families and individuals arriving to Ireland. While communication and language barriers can present a challenge, these people have undoubtedly been through horrible and even traumatizing experiences, so being able to sleep under a safe roof will be of great help. English is not their native language, with some effort and an open heart, you will be able to offer more than enough to ensure them a safe stay.
It is impossible to fully comprehend such uncertainty and fear first-hand and have a full grasp of what they are going through. Openness and willingness to make such a gesture are more than appreciated.
If you cannot receive a refugee in your home, there are still other ways to help, such as offering them jobs if you have some type of company, business, or enterprise. Also, even the smallest act of kindness counts, like bringing them hot coffee, a coat, or treating them to a delicious Irish breakfast!
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to reach out and find ways you can help those displaced by war. Remember that you can contact Safe Harbor for Ukraine and join them to participate and be aware of the different activities they carry out. Although the first bus has already returned from its first crossing to the border between Ukraine and Poland, the group aims to continue repeating this action and take as many donations as they can.
They also hope to receive more refugees, so if you can offer yourself as a host that would be fantastic. You can even offer to help the Ukrainians who arrive in different activities that suit your abilities, such as making recreational games for the little ones or teaching English to the newcomers.
Remember that any act of kindness and help, no matter how small it may seem, can
have a positive impact on people’s lives, especially on Ukrainians who had to be displaced from their country in one of the worst possible conditions, so make feel at home while in Ireland.
You can find more information about Safe Harbour for Ukraine at https://safeharbourforukraine.org/
