San Diegan who helped feed Ukrainian refugees returns home

SAN DIEGO— The San Diego man who raised cash on a GoFundMe web page and packed his baggage to assist feed Ukrainian refugees has returned house.

Jay Ross lately went to Poland to assist volunteer with World Central Kitchen to supply meals for the refugees.

The freezing temperatures in Poland didn’t cease Jay’s palms or coronary heart.

“That they had me chopping up– I most likely minimize about 150 broccoli and carrots and such in 33-degree climate outdoors,” Jay mentioned.

The tales he heard from the refugees he met hang-out him.

“I feel simply listening to the tales of what they needed to endure proper earlier than was most likely probably the most emotional a part of the journey,” says Ross. “As a result of it was a residing hell– what they needed to cope with.”

For Jay, seeing the 1000’s of refugees pouring into Poland, he knew he had to assist. 

“We might assist individuals once they would come into the practice station and assist them get to the place they’re going and drive them over to the station,” Jay mentioned. “And there could be one other 1,000 individuals and it simply didn’t cease.”

The San Diegan raised greater than $20,000 on his GoFundMe web page earlier than he left to volunteer with World Central Kitchen. In his position with the group, Jay cooked meals in 12-hour shifts for Ukrainian refugees, a job that took a bodily and emotional toll.

“On the finish of the day, I’d return and I’d break down. I might be actually unhappy about what I noticed,” says the San Diegan. “I’d be actually unhappy about these children and actually unhappy asking why they couldn’t go house. I used to be actually emotional and actually troublesome.”

Jay says he donated the funds raised to native charities serving to with groceries, house constructing, and orphans.

Whereas Jay simply returned to San Diego this week, he says his reminiscences of the refugees will stick with him eternally. 

“I simply actually needed to assist and so they had been so appreciative,” he says.

Jay says there are usually not sufficient volunteers to accommodate the inflow of refugees. He hopes his story encourages extra Individuals to go volunteer to assist Ukrainian refugees in Poland.