Bargain Basket Team Member Visits SOS Children's Villages in Poland

Just two months ago, Barbara Rojek was celebrating with Pastor Mark Williams the fundraiser that raised $38, 801.05 for the children of Ukraine. What a thrill it was for the Bargain Basket team member to visit SOS Children’s Villages in her native Poland. SOS is the beneficiary of the fundraiser Rojek spearheaded in conjunction with the United Church of Marco Island. The Bargain Basket is the church’s mission store and Mark Williams is the pastor of United Church.

“It was a very emotional experience for me to be able to go there,” Barbara Rojek said Friday, “to be there.”

The original plan for Rojek’s return home to Poland was to spend time with her family. While there she was able to visit SOS Children’s Villages. She said while she was in Poland that more people were returning to Ukraine than were entering Poland for the first time. Rojek’s sister is still hosting Ukrainian refugees.

"I was privileged to sit with the Ukrainian people who my sister is hosting in her home,” Rojek said. "I was able to sit and have tea with them. A very lovely father and daughter. He is a retired miner. She works for a pharmaceutical company. They’re not planning to go back, even though her father is so attached to his garden back in Ukraine. They don’t feel comfortable going back. So, they’re planning their future in Poland.”

She said she was warmly welcomed at SOS Children’s Villages.

“All of the people were very nice,” Rojek said, "very appreciative of what we’ve done and the money we’ve raised. I was very happy to be able to go there and meet them and talk to them about their situation."

She said SOS provides many services.

"They helped so many to cross (the border into Poland),” Rojek said, “and once they crossed, they helped them with their paperwork. Once they were in Poland, they would help them go to other countries like Germany or the Czech Republic where they had family members. Anything they need, they get assistance.”

Rojek said some of the children are attending school in Poland while others are able to continue their Ukrainian education, thanks to SOS.

"SOS Children’s Villages help children sign up for school in Poland,” Rojek said. "Other kids are being provided with laptops so they can continue school in Ukraine online. That’s also being provided from donations.”

She said many of the children are traumatized from all they’ve been through.

"These kids are from orphanages or foster families,” Rojek emphasizes. "So basically, these kids are traumatized to begin with. On top of this you have war trauma. Whenever they hear planes, 

they hide. One kid pulled all the foam from an entire chair because of stress. They need specialists, they need psychologists, they need professionals to help take care of them. They also need to play. They need to go have fun with other kids. Have a little bit of a normal life."  

 Rojek left SOS Children’s Villages feeling the money raised by the Marco area folks went to the right place.

“If you look at the whole scheme of what they’re doing it’s really amazing,” Rojek said, "I think it was money well spent."