Ukraine released a video that reportedly showcases a Russian cruise missile flying “Critically low†over one of the country's nuclear facilities. Veuer’s Maria Mercedes Galuppo has the story.
Saturday, Oct. 15, was a day those involved in Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine had been dreading.
That day would mark the end of the program that helped book hotel rooms for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, the day funds would run out.
"We were afraid that Oct. 15 would get here and we would have nothing to help these refugees," said Steve Glenn, founder of Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine and chairman of Executive Travel in Lincoln.
Glenn didn't know where the refugees — who fled to Poland after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February — would go.
But as their efforts in Poland neared an end, they received some unexpected news.
Government agencies in Warsaw received a grant from J.P. Morgan of about $500,000, which has allowed them to continue providing temporary housing for the Ukrainian refugees, Glenn said.
When Glenn and a team of volunteers began Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine in April, they began with just 50 rooms for about 200 refugees.
They thought at most they'd be in Poland for 30 days. But with the help of countless donations from banks, organizations and individuals from all over the U.S., they kept going.
“We didn’t know what we were going to do, and we didn’t want to waste people’s time or money, but I think we did the right thing at the right time in the right way,†Glenn said.
While the grant from J.P. Morgan was designated to be used to continue temporary housing efforts, Glenn believed it was time for more permanent efforts.
With the help of additional funds granted to Polish and Warsaw agencies, Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine was able to pivot their focus to providing Ukrainian refugees with training that will allow them to apply for jobs in Poland.
This training will include English classes, Polish classes, basic computer skills, and hospitality training and certification.
For the past couple of months, Glenn and his team at Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine have been working with the Polish government to build a whole new organization to provide this training.
The new organization they're building, Cornerstone Academy PO, will coordinate with the Polish Hotel Association to recruit hotel managers and employees to provide hospitality training.
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It needed to be a new organization because in order for this entity to certify and hire refugees, it must be formed in Poland, Glenn said.
However, donations made to Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine will serve as part of the funding for these trainings.
As the grant from J.P. Morgan has ensured temporary housing for the refugees into February, Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine plans to start trainings for refugees soon, Glenn said.
According to Glenn, the curriculum was the easiest part of process to put together, but finding teachers who speak Russian, Polish and English was difficult.
Many of the refugees speak Russian and very little Polish, which makes it difficult for them to be employed in Poland.
Glenn hopes the training will provide a fresh start.
"We've been able to provide a safety net for the last seven months, now we'd like to give these refugees hope for a future and for their families," Glenn said.
Since they began their efforts in the spring, they've raised over $1 million in donations that have ranged from $5 to $500,000.
His gratitude for the help from Polish people and Americans is one he believes Ukrainians hold as well, even the children.
The relationships that the team at Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine has formed with the refugees weren't easy ones to foster.
In the beginning, the refugees couldn't understand why they were there, but Glenn was happy to explain.
"I had refugees on multiple occasions come up to me and ask, 'We are you helping us?'"
Lincoln residents Jenny Cardwell (left) and Vi See (center) volunteered through Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine to provide support and relief to refugees staying in Warsaw, Poland. They enjoyed sharing meals with new friends.
With the help of additional funds granted to Polish and Warsaw agencies, Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine was able to pivot their focus to providing Ukrainian refugees with training that will allow them to apply for jobs in Poland. This training will include English classes, Polish classes, basic computer skills and hospitality training and certification.
Brian Wallingford (second from left) with others in Warsaw, Poland. Wallingford, who works for Steve Glenn at Executive Travel in Lincoln, has led efforts to temporarily house hundreds of Ukrainian refugees at a Warsaw hotel.