Polish-Ukrainian ties deepen in Chicago and Europe as war rages on in 6th week

FOREST GLEN, Ailing. (WLS) — Because the conflict in Ukraine enters its sixth week, the world has seen whole brutality on show. Hundreds of thousands of girls and kids have been compelled to flee for his or her lives from bombs and assaults to neighboring nations, like Poland, which have welcomed them with open arms.

“The Polish neighborhood has stood with us each step of the way in which,” mentioned Dan Diaczun, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Illinois Division.

Diaczun mentioned that unity is mirrored in Chicago, residence to vibrant Polish and Ukrainian communities which are stepping as much as the problem of the second as brothers and sisters in humanity.

“Their generosity, their kindness, their assist has simply been really overwhelming,” Diaczun mentioned.

The Polish Nationwide Alliance and Polish American Congress raised greater than $230,000 because the conflict in Ukraine began, half was donated Thursday to the Ukrainian Congress Committee in Chicago and the opposite half to the Polish Pink Cross.

“In the event you’re human, in case you’ve obtained any sense of duty, you’d assist them. And that is, like, a duty of man serving to fellow man greater than anything,” mentioned Frank Spula, president of the Polish Nationwide Alliance & Polish American Congress.

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It was an effort, Spula mentioned, began with one in every of ABC7’s questions the day Russia invaded Ukraine.

“It was your query that spirited me – we have got to do that on a nationwide scale,” Spula mentioned. “This comes again to what Mark Rivera and I have been speaking about. That is what did it. So I give kudos to you sir.”

For weeks because the conflict began, the Polish Each day newspaper stored the fundraiser entrance web page of their newspaper each single day, airing it on their radio stations as nicely. Two communities — two nations — coming collectively in a time of disaster like by no means earlier than.

Now, these communities with deep ties have a fair deeper bond as they work collectively in opposition to tyranny.

“In the event you’re a human being, you are gonna assist your fellow man,” Spula mentioned.

“Our debt of gratitude is simply immeasurable,” Diaczun added.