Edison Resident Volunteers To Aid Refugees At Ukraine Border

EDISON, NJ — Edison resident Bhagwatprasad Patel recently returned from one of the most “impactful” trips of his life. Patel traveled to Rzeszów, Poland, on the Ukrainian border to help people fleeing the country in the wake of Russia's invasion.

A member of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple in Robbinsville, Patel was joined in this trip by three other New Jersey residents — Dharmik Sheth, Ravi Patni and Darshan Patel of Mercer County.

“The principles of selfless service are deeply rooted in Hindu tradition and are ingrained in our lives. When we found out that BAPS charities from Europe and UK were helping students and Ukrainians fleeing the war, I knew I wanted to be part of this effort,” Patel said.

Within a couple of days, Patel packed his bags and booked his ticket to Poland. But the decision was not an easy one as his family was concerned for his safety.

“It was a little scary for my family because I was traveling to a country that's neighboring Ukraine, where an active war going on. But my wife and my mom were extremely supportive,” Patel said. “They reassured me that I should definitely go because I had an opportunity to help and serve others.”

Once the group arrived in Poland, they joined the BAPS temple camp in Rzeszów, which was set up to help thousands of Indian students fleeing Ukraine.

Realizing there was a broader need, the group traveled to border camps in Budomierz, Medyka and Korczowa, to provide service to everyone fleeing Ukraine.

“When we reached the border camp in Budomierz, we told them we were from New Jersey and that we wanted to help. The camp was run by a Polish non-profit and they were more than happy to use our help to aid those crossing the border,” Patel said.

At the border camps, Patel and his New Jersey friends helped refugees by carrying their luggage, serving them meals and showing them to their tents.

“Many of these families had left without anything. They had traveled for anywhere between 20 hours to nine days to get to safety,” Patel said.

A small business owner, Patel had initially planned to stay in Poland only for a week. But seeing the plight of people, he extended his stay.

“As a small business owner, it's not that easy to leave for an indefinite amount of time. But when I saw what was going on, I decided to extend my stay. I got great support from my family and community — they said they’ll look after my business,” Patel said.

Patel and Sheth spent nine days at the border camps and returned to New Jersey on Friday. Patni and Darshan Patel were expected to return this weekend.

The nine-day trip to Poland has left a “tremendous impact” on Patel.

“I was thinking back to our lives in New Jersey, and how comfortably we are living. There's so much that we take for granted in our everyday lives. We have a roof over our heads, comfortable beds to sleep on and different means of transportation. The evacuees are sleeping in tents. Some of them have no means of transportation to the border.”

“I can’t stop thinking about the people over there. It's the compassion and the kindness that we witnessed in everyone that's going to change my life forever.”

To help those affected by the war in Ukraine, you can donate to Caritas, International Rescue Committee or Save the Children.

If you know other local organizations helping with relief efforts in Ukraine, please share in the comments below.

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