9 volunteers from the US supported our project in Wierzbice (south-west of Poland) between 10th and 19th June 2017. They helped renovate the Family-Type Children’s Home, where Maciejka and Jerzy act as foster parents for 4 handicapped children. The goal of the project is adjust the house and its surroundings to the physical limitations of the children, especially those who are wheel-chaired.
The volunteers came to Poland through the Thrivent Builds program, which is part of an extensive partnership between Thrivent Financial and Habitat for Humanity. You can learn more about the program at its website.
ABOUT WORK
The volunteers spent most of the time outside, constructing a pavement for the wheel-chaired children, painting and extending the fence, clearing the garden, etc.
ABOUT EXTRA ACTIVITIES
In their free time, the volunteers got to know the family and, for example, played music together and learned from Maciejka how to prepare traditional Polish dishes (such as pierogis).
They also travelled outside of Wierzbice a number of times. They visited Cracow’s Old Town and the Auschwitz Museum in Oświęcim as well as a number of sights in the south-west of Poland: the city of Wrocław and the Karkonosze mountains (where they tried alpine sliding). They learned about Habitat Poland by meeting its founder Adam Król, who showed them the largest construction project consisting of 69 apartments which we have completed in the city of Gliwice.
TESTIMONIAL
One of the team members, Gary, comments on his participation in the Wierzbice project as follows:
We stayed in the wonderful city of Wrocław, and then were bused to work each day to the home of Jerzy and Maciejka and their foster family of Dawid, Łukasz, Paulina and Patrycja.
It was a week spent in community doing projects like extending the garden walkway for the kids with wheelchairs, building rebar frames for the footings of a block wall, unloading firewood for the winter heating, and sometimes having a moment to help prepare lunch or dinner. There were hugs, laughter, running for the translator Karolina, and the invitation to “Follow Me” by Zbigniew, the construction manager, to the next project.
We had opportunity to tour Krakow’s Old Town, Wrocław and Auschwitz and the Habitat village at Gliwice, while enjoying wonderful food and the good humor from of our partner volunteers.
In the photo we are gathered at the table for a final meal together. Jerzy offered a blessing and Maciejka, the energetic foster mom, translates for us the prayer.
Clearly we received more than we gave, and we are grateful for this family and experience of trying to enhance the quality of their lives.
