We urgently need your support to ensure we can provide essential services to the Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Ukraine.
Please watch us on RTE News: https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2022/0313/1286174-polish-charity-cork/
Our story:
We responded immediately to the crisis.
The day after the invasion on the 25th February Together Razem Centre started working to connect refugees with the non-governmental organizations in Poland that offer shelter and essential support. We have helped several families to find help in Poland.
Here in Ireland, we have enabled the Ukrainian community in Cork to have a safe gathering spot at the Together-Razem headquarters – group meetings, conversation, information in a safe and confidential environment.
We have set up an information provision service in the Ukrainian language as we are aware that provision of essential information in migrants’ native language and in a culturally sensitive manner is crucial.
We have been providing face to face consultations to the Ukrainian refugees in our Centre from the 8th March.
On the 15th March with assistance of HSE we have hired Ukrainian Support Worker who provides outreach, support, referral, and accompaniment services and works with HSE In-Reach team.
On the 22nd March we have started to provide English classes for 4 days per week morning and afternoon classes with a great support of Retired Teachers Association.
Women for women action started on the 27th of March. Toiletry packs with essential items have been handed over to the newly arrived Ukrainian women.
Launch of a new dedicated Hub on the 10th May
The Hub, named Together4Ukraine is situated in Blackpool Community Centre, Cork city. Together4Ukraine will provide a range of free services to Ukrainian refugees in Cork, including:
- One to one support, referral, and accompaniment services.
- Online trauma counselling in Ukrainian and Russian languages.
- English conversation classes twice a day for 4 days per week.
- Information sessions to signpost refugees to key services in Cor.,
- Practical supports, including welcome packs with information for newcomers, and ‘Women for Women’ kits with essential hygiene items.
- Women's Support Group - psychosocial support to Ukrainian women
- Employment Support- CV preparation and job support in conjunction with Cork City Partnership
- Babushki Razom - programme for older refugees
We have also:
- in March/April 2022 organised fundraiser and raised €8442 for the purchase of medical supplies to hospitals in Ukraine. Purchased and delivered medical supplies to Ukraine: to Hospital Moscicka and infirmaries in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Bucha and Velyka Dymerka.
- We have organised 5 Ukrainian community mobilization meetings in our Centre in March
- We have organised 1 Silent Walk in Cork on the 5th March with 40 attendees
- We have organised The Stand with Ukraine peaceful rally in Cork on the 13th March attended by around 400 people
- We have organised joint Eastern European community group with Ukrainian refugees and took part in St Patrick's Parade in Cork and in Ballincollig and as a result we got awarded the Spirit of the Parade award by the Cork City Council
- We have set the new dedicated website http://together4ukraine.ie
- We have organised official Together4Ukrainbe Hub launch with 200 attendees on the 10th May 2022
- Various media appearances in Irish Examiner, Evening Echo, RTE Radio 1, Cork Red FM, Polish media
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK
Our impact - updated monthly
Outputs - since the onset of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022 to date (31st DECEMBER 2022 at time of last impact report) Together-Razem have:
• Provided one to one support to over 1571 Ukrainian refugees - this includes multiple 2936 contact interventions in the HUB including – individual support sessions, phone support, accompaniment, form filling, document translation, employment support.
• Group information sessions provided by our Ukrainian Support Worker in congregated spaces as part of HSE In-Reach team and also in other settings for example: HSE (In-reach – team HSE) City and County reach: Crookstown, Trablogan, Kanturk, Cobh, Youghal, Millstreet, Fermoy, Mallow, Cork Total estimated refugees supported in congregated spaces: 720
• Provided over 300 ENGLISH CONVERSATION classes since March 22 to approx. 77 beginners and 16 intermediate Ukrainians (March to July 22) - via 4 classes daily. From September 2022 there are 52 beginners and 15 intermediate level Ukrainian students attending weekly classes twice a week
• Distributed 270 refurbished laptops to refugees in need
• Distributed 200 refurbished smartphones to refugees in need
• Compiled and distributed 581 Welcome Packs for new arrivals (maps, info cards).
• Obtained and distributed over 335 “Woman for Woman” hygiene packs for female refugees.
• TRAUMA COUNSELLING in Ukrainian language provided by qualified accredited psychotherapist, at this moment we already provided this service to 33 Ukrainian refugees, 54 registered for a service so far. In total 150 face to face/online therapy sessions provided.
• EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT in conjunction with Cork City Partnership
We have 298 people registrations for the service from the start, 152 people already received one to one support and 17 waiting for this service.
• WOMEN’S SUPPORT GROUP with 18 women participating in a weekly meetings with 26 children participating in paralleled activities – PILOT ended on the 9th September 2022 >> new programme started in November 2022 with 12 new participants
• BABUSHKI RAZOM – older women’s weekly social support group at the Together4Ukraine Hub. Every Wednesday 11am-1pm. Chat, Tea, Arts & Craft-all in native language in a culturally familiar environment. 16 Ukrainian older people registered to attend weekly sessions
OTHER:
• Received 41,503 hits on Together-Razem website since war started.
• Together-Razem Facebook following increased to 7793, Instagram increased to 126 followers, Twitter to 579 followers and 2019 tweets.
• Established Telegram Together-Razem account to cater for Ukrainian client groups - built Telegram group of 956 members. https://t.me/together_razem_centre
• We have received and responded to 4,922 phone & WhatsApp & Telegram calls since the 24th of February when the Russian invasion started
• We have received 7446 emails and FB/Telegram/WhatsApp messages
We are a small team of 6 part-time staff and we need to rapidly expand our capacity and obtain extra resources to respond to the crisis in the best possible way.
Our small team works around the clock to assist Ukrainians in many ways.
We are developing our programmes, adapting our existing structures to the needs of the Ukrainian refugees to deliver best possible professional services.
We have developed new relations and contacts with state and third sector bodies, and we are grateful for the kindness of the people of Ireland.
Watch a short presenting our work up to the 10th May 2022:
Please support us as we need funds to expand our services.
Together-Razem is a registered charity, that is solely reliant on either donated or short term project funding. The Together4Ukriane Hub is being funded through Together-Razem’s own resources with assistance from local agencies.
Together-Razem’s CEO says:
“Funding for projects like Together4Ukraine is absolutely vital so that on the ground practical supports can be effectively provided to refugees from Ukraine. Organisations across the community and voluntary sector such Together-Razem provide ongoing support on tight budgets to migrants and refugees from many countries. Together-Razem provides much needed support to Eastern European migrants without any state funding. This already stretched community sector is now required to expand to meet the needs of large numbers of Ukrainians presenting for support, in addition to pre-existing caseloads.”
Donate online or via our bank account details here:
Please use reference "Ukraine Fund”
IBAN IE10AIBK93638346461002
BIC AIBKIE2DXXX
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