Caremark (Southend) Sends Two Thousand Bags Of Support To Ukrainian refugees

More than two thousand bags of donated items to help displaced and desperate Ukrainian families were received by the team.

This incredible campaign of support started by one of Caremark (Southend)’s Polish care workers, Karolina Karaszewska (pictured above) was to get supplies out to the Polish collection point in Southend. A text message to her colleagues asking them to donate whatever they could got the ball rolling.

Supporting her in her efforts, Carley Jeffrey, the Care Manager also put a notice on the Caring About Rochford Facebook page asking people to chip in and donate.

Within forty-eight hours of the call for help going out, the phones were ringing off the hook with offers of donations coming in thick and fast and the back of the care office full to the brim with everything from nappies to nighties.

Speaking about the support for Ukrainian families Carley Jeffrey, Care Manager said: “It was absolutely amazing! We couldn’t believe the response we got from our local community.

“My office team and I co-ordinated the deliveries to the Polish restaurant in Southend where they were then packed into lorries ready to go.

“We were going back and forth to the restaurant with carloads of donations, but each time we returned to the office, more items had arrived, and the room was full again!”

The generosity of the local community overwhelmed the Southend care team, with people ringing the office and asking what they needed. Some even bought brand new items and delivered them to the care office.

A local pet shop also got in touch and brought in quantities of animal food to help the thousands of pets caught up in the crisis.

Carley continued: “Some of those who donated were extremely emotional; they were so grateful we were doing this. Like us, they wanted to help in any way they could.

“In the end we had in excess of two thousand bags of donations, and we had to put a hold on any further items as we simply had no more room.”