Thread by @tanjamaier17

Sitting in the airport waiting for my kid. By a miracle the flight was only delayed by 1.5 hours. I’ll take it. I wanted to write even took my laptop but I’m just too tired. Spent a lovely hour in little Ukraine tonight, a courtyard outside of a dorm where I delivered 20 cards.

As I approached I saw the grannies, waiting on benches in their house coats, like my Baka used to wear in summer. Dresses to wear around the house which button up all the way down the middle. Bright, floral patterns. Slide on sandals. When I approached, they all stopped talking.

It was a little bit chaotic to read out the names and room numbers, and they did all start talking at once. The dorm is so big they only know the people on their floors, and the doors between floors are sometimes locked. They are all extremely grateful. Asked many many questions.

Who is doing this? Kind people from all over. How often can we ask for it? One time. Per person? No per family. How does the card work? Explain. Can we call my friend/daughter/neighbor? Please tell them to write me. One desperate dad of 3 we call. Agree to him meet tomorrow.

One woman from Kharkiv tells me she lined up at 4am this morning to get €10. Some organization hands out that much, per person, once a month. But what can you do with €10 I say naively. Two chickens, she says. €10 buys two chickens. I nod, silently. I am wrong. She is right.

Her sons are back home, one daughter in law already went back with the kids, even though it’s not safe because in Czech Republic they stopped making payments to Ukrainians. You have to work. She couldn’t manage with the kids. Other daughter is in Netherlands. It’s ok. Just ok.

Her friend is from Chernihiv and 72: a lovely lady I met earlier this week. Her daughter is 50 and would like to get a job but they are absolutely terrified of losing their housing. I explain that part might unfortunately be true, technically speaking. The way the law states it.

One granny knows the dorm where the food isn’t very good. She used to live there, she managed to move. She knows she is lucky. Everywhere I get the impression that those who stood up for themselves are ultimately better off, but that’s not in everyone’s personality. It’s hard.

Then grandparents approach with a sweet 7yo artist with cerebral palsy. She has her own Instagram. She asked me to share it with you. She lives with her parents in a Vienna flat but still needs school & rehab. She sleeps 1x week at grandmas like in 🇺🇦.

instagram.com/amaliagorbenko…

Grandma was a kindergarten teacher and insisted her granddaughter attend kindergarten in her group. Grandpa drove the family by car out from bombs flying on Kharkiv, he too needs medical care but it’s hard without a translator. A Polish nurse helped once. But Termin — September.

A few folks are missing so I hand out the remaining envelopes to neighbors living right next to their rooms. Always with witnesses. A granny gives me Billa 25% off stickers. A young woman gives me 3 Ukrainian caramel candies. A grandpa asks where he can leave a review of website.

I wish everyone a good evening, start to walk slowly away, and a young woman runs up and gives me a hug I wasn’t expecting. Thank you, she says, tell everyone thank you so much. I promise to tell you all. They will take photos of their shopping. They feel seen. So very grateful.

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