Highland Park Man, Family Help Ukrainian Refugees At Polish Border

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — About five miles from the Ukrainian border, in the Polish town of Przemysl, the refugees come in waves. Nearly all of them are women, children and seniors, according to a Highland Park resident who has spent the past week assisting them.

After feeling helpless watching the war unfold, Mike Foley and his wife, a native of the Russian city of Kursk, decided to travel to the border to help some of the more than 4 million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February.

Angelika, Foley's wife, has family in Crimea, a portion of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014, and has friends in Ukraine from college years traveling to the city of Kharkiv, which has been shelled extensively by the Russian military in recent weeks.

"Her take was Ukraine, that's their brothers," Foley said. "It'd be like us invading Toronto, and then committing war crimes on top of all that."

As a nurse practitioner, Angelika was unable to immediately get time off. But Foley, who owns his own consulting company and had just wrapped up the winter quarter as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University's business school, was able to travel to the border last week with his stepdaughter, Evelina. Angelika is set to join them Saturday, Foley said.

Evelina, a fluent Russian speaker, has been able to serve as an interpreter at an ad hoc refugee relief center in Przemysl, where families fleeing the fighting stay for a couple days while arranging their next move, Foley said.

Their next move is usually a train or bus to another part of Poland or Europe.

"She's become kind of like a social worker there, she's helping direct and get people to their proper trains and their buses. There's older people that have dementia, she's working with them, people with animals. Some people want to go back," he said. "She's really provided a great service doing that."

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The Polish military provides security at the center, and World Central Kitchen has been providing food, Foley said. The center is operating with no central coordination, with an ad hoc group of non-governmental organizations and volunteers, and he said he has not seen anyone from the United Nations or Red Cross.

Foley, who does not speak Russian, Polish or Ukrainian, said he started by helping with custodial work, mopping the warehouse that had been converted to temporary shelter for refugees, and he served as a driver. He soon learned of the most pressing needs of the hundreds of refugees at the center, some of whom fled with little time to pack.

"They wanted just the basics in life, just dignity, clean underwear, clean socks, T-shirts, shoes, just the basics," Foley told Patch, speaking by phone from Poland.

Collecting donations online from friends and family, Foley said he raised about $16,000 to buy needed items.

"With those funds, I've been able to go to their version of Target and buy thousands of pairs of underwear, bras, sneakers, socks, those type of things," he said. "That's just one thing I've been able to do that's somewhat effective, anyway."

Foley also traveled to the border with a friend. The first day, they brought about 45 pounds of candy, which was warmly welcomed by children, he said, but not so much by their mothers. So, the next day, they showed up with healthier snacks.

Refugees arriving at the border are met with volunteers from around the world offering aid. But at the same time, Foley said, there are predators in their midst.

"It's a chaotic situation, and for the most part you see the absolute best of humanity," Foley said.

"You see such kind, loving, dedicated people. I mean, most of these volunteers don't sleep, they just work all the time. So you see that, but then at the same time, there's human trafficking going on," he said. "So you're aware of that, and then you're aware some of the refugees you're talking to — their city's just been flattened. I'm still processing the whole thing, because you see the best and worst in humanity."

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Foley said he wants to continue raising funds to help the refugees after his family's planned return to the United States on April 9. He said he hopes to be able to hand off the baton to other volunteers from the local community.

"We in Highland Park, there's definitely a connection between Eastern Europe and Ukraine and Russia, and I think we are particularly suited to be able to help, and especially if someone can kind of help the next person," Foley said.

"I really don't want it to be a one-off where I just came over with my family, I'd like to continue on with other people in the community," he said. "I absolutely would recommend it for anyone. It'll change you in the best of ways, but it's challenging, too."