Thread by @tanjamaier17

With each month that passes, the refugees arriving in Europe are more vulnerable. Those with access to information and money got out first. Those coming now, many have never been abroad, stayed until last minute. They are not nearly as independent. Scared. Overwhelmed.

This is coinciding with a winding down of the “welcome” culture: everyone is tired, donations and money are running out, volunteers are burned out, many locals are no longer really sympathetic, zero housing left in many cities, overworked social services, etc. A perfect storm.

I would love to write an op-ed about the situation on the ground in countries like Austria because we need to raise awareness and funding. Our supermarket gift card line is ridiculously long. Ukrainians with no money left are desperately asking for help. The state? Radio silence.

The more capable refugees arrived first and got the warm welcome and experienced the first wave of generosity. Western Ukraine is so expensive now that poor people cannot settle there. The poorest come here with no language skills are they hear a series of nein nein nein…

…plus all the problems people had at home they brought with them. Refugees don’t arrive as saints. Children with special needs, alcoholism, a bad marriage, teens who don’t want to leave their beds/phones, two years of covid before this. Everyone is on pins and needles.

I spend half of my time messaging desperate Ukrainians in Austria explaining I have no more supermarket gift cards and I cannot send a second one because many many families are still waiting for a first card. You feel terrible having to be another “nein”.
cards-for-ukraine.at/donate

I don’t know how to tell a family in Texas they should help pay for groceries for a family from Ukraine in Austria, but this is where we are. I am counting on my fellow Americans because of our culture of giving and overwhelming concern for those affected by this horrific war.

I thought we would shame the Austrian government into giving Ukrainian refugees more than €215 per month and lifting the ban on legal work for those living in free housing provided by the state, but that has not happened. This government doesn’t even have a refugee coordinator.

If you read this far and also want to help the families I meet in person, you can also donate here. On my way to the train station now to deliver cards in person. paypal.com/paypalme/groce…

@threadreaderapp please unroll