PHOTO STORY
BARCELONA
FOR UKRAINE
The Ukrainian community in Barcelona organizes an iniciative to send food and basic necessities to their country, now in war
March 4th, 2022
Boxes up and boxes down. The first impression when arriving at the recollection of material and food to be sent to Ukraine is of constant movement. The associations 'Smiles of Ukraine' and 'Djerelo', which are part of the Santa Monica parish in Barcelona, are the ones that are organizing this initiative. In fact, the parish's building is actually the center of the recollection, where a succession of vehicles carry packages from other parts of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB). Santa Monica receives all the the bags and boxes, organizes them by type of material or food, and then sends everything to Poland.
Volunteers helping to unload all the packages from a truck.
A full van ready to start the route to Poland's border with Ukraine.
Sasha is one of the volunteers. She is from Ukraine and still has her whole family inside her country. She joined the project on Friday, February 25, when the Ukranian community began organizing themselves. The parish's church, usually a place of worship and silence, has become a storehouse for all kinds of products: medicines and medical supplies, second-hand clothes, sleeping bags and blankets, all kinds of foods...
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All help is welcome, but, as Sasha warns about, donations should be taken directly to the collection points and not to the Consulate. "People want to help, but, either out of ignorance or to not come here, they bring food and products to the Consulate, although this institution has other functions", she says.
Volunteers sorting out different medicines donated that morning.
A box filled with medicines already classified by the volunteers.
So far, the parish has sent seven buses and a truck full of material to northeastern Europe. The destination is Poland's border with Ukraine. There, and after filling smaller vehicles with the different types of products in order to pass to the other side of the border, volunteers from the country in war pick up the packages and distribute them where they are most needed.
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This initiative is not unique to the Catalan city, as it has also taken place in other parts of Catalonia and Spain in order to help the civilians and Ukranian soldiers. In fact, the mobilization of Ukrainian community has spread throughout Europe. There is a network that connects countries across the continent and that works with the help of volunteers involved in associations and NGOs. However, Sasha believes that in Barcelona they are doing a very good job. "I've talked to friends in other European cities, such as Copenhaguen, and it seems like we're sending more vans here".
A volunteer carrying a big box with products for Ukrainian people.
Volunteers making a human chain to unload faster a truck.
Andrei, who works alongside Sasha filling boxes, reiterates this issue. He also has acquaintances in Ukraine, like most of the volunteers who are on site. "Almost all, if not all, volunteers have someone there", says Gala Korolyova, one of the organizers of the project and the association 'Smiles of Ukraine'. And it is true: among them they speak mostly in Ukrainian and the posters glued to the boxes are written in this language. Nonetheless, Gala is grateful that many Catalan and Spanish people have brought food and other products.
Other volunteers have only been there helping one day, but say they will repeat the experience. This is the case of Tom and Francisco, who have the same impression of constant movement. "All day long we receive product, like today, medicines, and they are sent there", says Tom. "Some Russian families have come forward to donate food, products and money in solidarity with the Ukrainian people".
Volunteers with the Ukrainian flag sort out different kinds of food.
Some of the volunteers take a group photo after the work is done.
The parish of Santa Monica, in addition to the shipments to the affected country, is waiting to host a couple of Ukrainian families that have managed to get out of their country. However, this is not everyone's situation: part of Francisco's family is still on their way to the border, and Sasha's family have decided not to leave their home, homeland and beloved ones. Associations will continue to leave the door open for those Ukrainians who want to. "We are leaving a food bank for refugees arriving in Barcelona, but we don't know yet when they will do so", Gala concludes.
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