Youngstown Area Jewish Federation staffer traveling to Poland
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Lisa Long, a financial resource development director for the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, will be joining a delegation of about 20 other federation staffers and volunteers to travel to Poland to assist Ukrainian refugees.
"It's such a dynamic situation in Poland and Ukraine right now that we don't know what we'll be able to expect once we get there," Long said. "I know that we are going to be meeting with refugees in Warsaw and meeting with the organizations that are doing such important on the ground work when we're at the Ukrainian border."
Long said she was honored when she was selected to make the trip and understands it's going to be very difficult to witness.
"I know what we are going to see is unimaginable," Long said. "I have two young kids at home and having to pick up and go from our home and run and the thought of that as a mom is why I want to go to make sure that we can give any bit of comfort that we can to the people of Ukraine while they are making this unimaginable journey."
She admits, she is also a little scared of getting close to danger and a warzone.
"We are here to help," Long said. "We're here to Tikkun olam, it's part of our mission, that means repairing the world so that's what we do. We build the safety net for Jewish people around the world and Ukraine needs that safety net right now."
Long says the Jewish community and general community in Youngstown have been amazing with donations for the trip.
"They have already donated thousands of dollars directly to the relief effort, thousands of dollars to take over to buy supplies and give out when we're there as we see needs arise and then suitcases full of stuff that have already been dropped off and they just found out about this on Friday," Long said.
Long leaves on Friday, April 1 and returns Tuesday, April 5. A local Rabbi will make the trip to Poland in the middle of April for humanitarian efforts.
Long says they are also working on making sure everything is ready once refugees start arriving into the U.S. and Northeast Ohio.
