MUNI HELPS will provide volunteers, the Brno for Ukraine initiative will coordinate material donations and Diecézní charita Brno will house newly arrived refugees and identify their pressing needs.
“We want to systematise and organise aid to Ukraine, so we decided to join forces with others and cooperate for the benefit of all. In the current crisis, we need to pull together,” stressed Daniela Vonbauer, coordinator at the MUNI HELPS volunteer centre. “What we bring into the effort is clear – we mobilise and recruit volunteers and provide logistics,” she added.
Masaryk University offers volunteers through a special MUNI HELPS app – anyone interested in helping should register and fill in their profile. This allows the coordination centre at MUNI HELPS to immediately identify people who can be contacted and use their help efficiently and quickly.
The Brno for Ukraine initiative was established at the Husa na provázku theatre in response to the invasion on 24 February. “At the moment, we are focusing on coordinating Brno’s collection points for material aid to be transported to Ukraine, as well as to be provided to the refugees who arrive in Brno,” said Viktorie Knotková, the initiative’s main coordinator. The collection points are currently located in the Husa na Provázku theatre, the Expedition Club Brno, the Polárka theatre, the Faculty of Architecture BUT and the Body Design Studio at FFA BUT. The list of items needed is available on the social media accounts of these institutions.
In addition to Husa na provázku, the Brno for Ukraine initiative is also supported by the student chambers of Brno universities’ academic senates. However, the initiators and members also include local civic activists and staff from non-profit organisations.
Diecézní charita Brno is involved in the cooperation through its Celsuz – Services for Foreigners social centre. “Our employees help foreigners to find their way in the new environment and assist them with administrative matters. They also provide them with information about various possibilities for dealing with their difficult life situation, explain their rights and obligations, and assist them by offering advice and interpreting in dealings with the authorities,” explained Veronika Imrichová, head of the Celsuz centre.
MUNI HELPS UKRAINE. You can help Ukrainian students and academics by donating money to support educational and humanitarian efforts. You can make a donation through the MU Shopping Center. You can find out how much money has been collected so far on the MUNI HELPS website.