At our Foundation, we've known one thing from the beginning: that helping others isn't just about logistics, resources, or material support. It's about people, above all. And the relationships we build with them\u2014sometimes slowly, sometimes instantly, as if we'd known each other forever. These encounters are the heart of our daily work. And although they're often just a fraction of our activities, they're the ones that stick with us the longest. Because sometimes, simply being there is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That's why our greatest strength remains: relationships, connection, and presence. They give meaning to what we do, and that's very important to us. That's when we truly exist. With someone. For someone. Simply put.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It's not always possible to meet everyone whenever you'd like. Sometimes these meetings are brief, they happen infrequently, but that's what makes them special. They stay in your head and heart. This was the case with the Sisters of Angels, who visited Poland in May. We also managed to donate a few small items for the children and a gas cylinder in case a van carrying "Angel Adventures" to Ukrainian orphans in the middle of nowhere breaks down. A brief moment, but so much joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was similar during our meeting with Sister Dariana \u2013 our unsung heroine in Africa. We remain in constant contact \u2013 even though thousands of kilometers separate us. But when we managed to meet in Poland, it was an opportunity not only to summarize our activities in Africa but also to simply talk, plan, reminisce, and share our emotions. Sister Dariana's presence on the African continent is more than just cooperation \u2013 it's a daily struggle for a better tomorrow for many. Without her, many projects simply wouldn't have gotten off the ground. We've worked together and known each other for a long time \u2013 yet each such meeting brings something new, leaves a mark and a promise that, despite the distance, we are together in this aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had another such visit from afar in June. This time, it was from young people from Kazakhstan \u2013 Ivan, Eva, and Angelina \u2013 who came to Poland with Father \u0141ukasz. We helped them fulfill their dream of visiting the land of their ancestors. This wasn't a typical visit \u2013 rather, a journey with deep personal meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meetings aren't limited to a single group or form of support. They also encompass relationships built over the years \u2013 as with former LipCo Foods employees, with whom we've been organizing senior meetings for several years. This year, in Celestyn\u00f3w, we had the opportunity to see each other again. For many of them, it's more than just sentimental. It's a sense of still being part of a community. And they are. We talk, laugh, and reminisce. Sometimes the emotion is overwhelming. Such meetings remind us that this isn't just the past \u2013 it's a living, important, and mutual bond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Koluszki, we attended a family picnic to celebrate Children's Day, organized by our friend PetRepublic. There was also a lot of talking, laughing, and having fun, but all in an atmosphere of genuine collaboration and relationships that continue into everyday life. These aren't just casual encounters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was something extraordinary. When we met Eugenia in Warsaw \u2013 the disheveled, bird-like hero from the Pink Island (or, more precisely, with the children at Brudzi\u0144ski Hospital during a workshop led by Karolina Honchera), the emotions were intense and very real. This was possible thanks to our collaboration. Karolina invited the children into a world of imagination, color, and tenderness. We were fortunate to be part of this experience. It was an encounter \u2013 with childlike strength, gentleness, and hope. And again \u2013 a brief moment, but it left a profound impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relationships are built over time \u2013 through continuity, attention, and listening. This was also the case during meetings with the Po Drugie Foundation, with whom we collaborate on support for youth experiencing homelessness. We provide food, but not only that. Together with volunteers from Univar Solutions, we made homemade preserves that the Po Drugie Foundation's beneficiaries can enjoy on long evenings (not just winter ones). And when we realized we needed a freezer, we simply bought one. It seems like a small detail \u2013 but it's the details that make up everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also visited the WTZ Piaseczno center. A visit \u2013 ordinary and important at the same time. Simply \u2013 to spend time together, get to know each other better, listen. Because just because we support someone doesn't mean we know everything about them. On the contrary \u2013 only then is it worth getting closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few weeks later, we were in Bra\u0144szczyk at the invitation of the Drabina Jakubowa Foundation. First, they visited us at our foundation space, then (a month and a half later), we visited them during a retreat. For some time now, we've been supporting them with food \u2013 providing our chickens \u2013 and what we create during barbecues is, as they say, a "culinary feast." Most importantly, we were able to meet the people who truly benefit from this support: the people we support, the volunteers, and those who work there every day. We went for ice cream together, there were conversations, warm smiles, a barbecue, and the final of the football league. It sounds simple \u2013 but it stays with us. The opportunity to meet those we help always brings us great joy and emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We exist to be close to people \u2013 ready to act wherever needed. The meetings we've had \u2013 with missionaries in Africa, with communities in Ukraine, with families in difficult situations, with seniors, with sick children, with partners, with individuals no one else noticed, and many others \u2013 aren't just checkboxes. They're a network of relationships that, over time, create something greater \u2013 trust, a sense of support. That's why relationships are fundamental to us. Without them, we wouldn't be the Uszwirlamy Foundation. We want to see faces, know stories, and hear voices. And, of course, be there when someone truly needs us. Because help begins with connection. The rest are just tools. All meetings are meaningful. That's something that truly sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It's impossible to list all the encounters. Nor can they be captured in a single framework. These relationships vary in nature, form, and emotional impact. But\u2014both those in Poland and those far away\u2014they have one common denominator. They're not an addition to our work. They're part of it. Sometimes they stir something within us. Sometimes they remind us why we're doing this. And sometimes they simply bring us simple joy. And that's wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relationships are our strength. They build. They inspire. They give us more than can be measured or documented. Every encounter changes us. And reminds us that we are not just an organization. We are people. With people. For people.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
W naszej Fundacji od pocz\u0105tku wiedzieli\u015bmy jedno: \u017ce pomoc to nie tylko logistyka, nie tylko \u015brodki, nie tylko wsparcie materialne. To przede wszystkim ludzie. I relacje, kt\u00f3re budujemy z nimi \u2013 czasem powoli, a czasem od razu jakby\u015bmy znali si\u0119 od zawsze. Te spotkania s\u0105 sercem naszej codziennej pracy. I cho\u0107 cz\u0119sto s\u0105 jedynie u\u0142amkiem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bez-kategorii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uskrzydlamy.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}