Volunteer Manual
Embedded Files
Welcome!
Thank you for your help. Please learn from our experiences. The following information will expedite your ability to serve and avoid time delays. Best of luck and stay safe!
Before you Book a Flight
DRIVERS
Rent a Van
Find a rental company in Krakow, Poland (pronounced Kra-kof) that offers vans and book directly with them. DO NOT use a travel agency or discount site. They cannot guarantee a vehicle.
Used by prior drivers: Carfree: +48 794 500 339 What'sApp or Rental Cars:+48 123 000 300
Cost: $700 - $2000/week in rental, up to $100/day for gas.
You must purchase full-coverage car insurance through the rental company. This protects you and your passengers. Types of Wood Charities and the other entities do not accept liability for any damages or losses you may incur.
Get an International Driver's Permit (IDP). Poland requires an IDP. You can get an IDP through the American Automobile Association (AAA) or the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA) for around $20.00.
Review European driving signs and rules. They differ in each country.
Documents needed to Registering as a volunteer-driver: Passport and vehicle registration. For the Medyka Border-crossing you must have a signed letter from an official non-profit organization. This document can be obtained before you fly to Poland. Contact Julie Sturgill via What'sApp.
To maximize your service time Review: A Typical Day, Team Communication, Safety, Interacting with Refugees and volunteers. See below.
ALL VOLUNTEERS
YOUR FLIGHT
Our base for refugee relief is in Krakow.
COVID 19: Guidelines and recommendations change frequently. It is your responsibility to meet all Co-Vid 19 requirements. Check with your Airline on flights into Poland.
Make sure all your travel documents are current and with you.
Passport
Driver's License
Covid Test Result and Vaccination Card if required
Documents listed on your flight confirmation emails, airline websites or destination country embassy websites. Many airlines will not check you into your flight if you do not have the appropriate documents.
Masks: Bring masks. You are required to wear a mask on some airplanes and in other settings.
Let your bank know where and when you are traveling to prevent your foreign transaction from being flagged as fraud and your card turned off.
Donations: Do not bring donations of food or clothing unless specifically requested. If you want to bring donations, contact other volunteers in Poland for information on what is needed or contact Julie Sturgill via What'sApp (+1 208 539-3135).
If you are flying Delta out of Salt Lake, Delta allows 5 boxes, besides your luggage, for free. If you have no boxes but are willing to take boxes to Poland, Contact Dana Adams (801) 706-1927. You will be required to pick up theses pre-packaged boxes before going to the airport.
ACCOMODATIONS: Book a hotel room in Krakow. Popular choices are Liv'Inn Aparthotel and Lavender Hotel. Airbnbs are also available.
PACKING
Check the weather and pack accordingly.
YOUR PHONE
Apps you will need:
What’sApp - We use What'sApp as our primary mode of communication. Please be familiar with this app before arriving in Poland.
Zello - Walkie Talkie
Google Maps/Apple Maps/Waze - Navigation
Glympse - Share your location
Do Not forget your portable charger and cable. Your phone is your lifeline. Spare power is always necessary.
I am here, what do I do now?
Contact: Post a message on Type of Wood Krakow via the What'sApp group chat. Arrangements will be made for a meeting place and a mentor.
Have local cash on hand. You can get Polish Zloty (pronounced Zwo-tee) at an ATM or exchange currency at a booth (these are common in airports). Fees can be up to 10% at booths and 11% at ATMs. Check with your bank about their policies and whether there are foreign ATMs that work better for you.
Border crossing Jobs
Register as a Volunteer with the Polish Authorities. Documentation and volunteer requirements vary at each center and sometimes vary from day to day. We will provide guidance here.
Many opportunities to serve are available at each border crossing, refugee center, bus station and train station. Jobs range from cleaning bathrooms and handing out food, to organizing donations, entertaining children and moving furniture.
To maximize your service time, review information below. If you have specific questions, contact Rob Sturgill on What'sAp (+1 208 731-6911) from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Polish time. For 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Polish time contact Jess Stride *********
A Typical Day for Drivers
If the transport coordinator receives a requests he or she will assign those requests to individual drivers.
If there are no immediate transport needs, find other ways to serve.
As you network at refugee centers, you may receive word of families that may be interested in being transported.
Transports may go late into the night.
Every van must have at least two volunteers to share driving responsibilities (e.g., one can take over driving if another is fatigued; to protect you from allegations of abuse; one volunteer drives and the other navigates or communicate with passengers).
It helps to have an interpreter and/or a female volunteer-partner (remember the majority of refugees are women) and having a woman on your team helps you to establish trusting relationships.
If you do not have an interpreter with you, we have interpreters available via What’sApp, or use Google Translate app. Down load this app to your phone an the following languages: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian.
Pack snacks, drinks and food. You may have limited options as you travel.
Make sure you have all of your needed documents with you (e.g., passport, drivers license, IDP, car registration).
Follow your instincts. Look for individuals and families who seem desperate or have unique needs.
Do Not Transport anyone who does not have a specific destination. It is better to have that people stay where they have access to food, bedding and help.
Team Communication for Drivers
Because there are many individuals on our Type of Wood chat, it is easily bogged down. Do Not use the group chat for one on one conversations. If you need to communicate with a specific volunteer, send a direct message to the recipient. We found (after several weeks working together) that chatting freely on the group chat leads to important requests or information being lost between back-an-forth chatter. As a result, keep it to a minimum.
If you learn of transport or material needs as you are out and about reach out to the group
Safety for Drivers. Be Aware of Risks
Have paper copies of maps in case your phone dies.
Do not go where you should not be.
Be prepared and have a plan to react in an emergency situation.
Always look for an emergency exit.
Be conscious of the lighting around you.
Be informed of the status of the war in the Ukraine.
Keep your phone’s security software up-to-date.
Know alternative transportation options or routes if you need to leave the area quickly.
The United States government states: If you go into Ukraine, you are “on your own” if the border closes, if you are taken hostage, or otherwise endangered.
Although assaults and crimes are low, do watch for pickpocketing.
Do not wear flashy jewelry or display cash you may have on hand.
Do not leave your possessions out in the open.
Recognize signs of people’s distress, anger, or violence. Seek help or remove yourself from the situation.
Allow them to safely express their grief or anger.
Watch for non-verbal cues (e.g., they get on the balls of their feet, clenching their fists or jaw).
If you’re in danger, run first, hide second, and use fighting as a last resort.
If confronted, give them what they want. Things are replaceable; you are not.
Set clear boundaries.
Do not wear any country flags, lapel pins, or use political bumper stickers. Getting involved in political conversations with volunteers or refugees will reduce the effectiveness of our efforts.
Children
Never be alone with a child and do not bring unaccompanied minors into your vehicle for any reason. Report any unaccompanied minors to the police.
If needed, check the identification of the children.
Miscellaneous
In order for news or other organizations to use our images, we need written permission from each individual photographed.
Tips from previous drivers
Driving
In Poland, you drive on the right side of the road.
Stay in the right lane. The left lane is used strictly as a passing lane.
Pedestrians rule the road. Be prepared to suddenly stop at crosswalks.
GPS systems are frequently “scrambled” near the border. Meaning your GPS will be stuck in a never ending loop of “rerouting” messages. It is critical that you are aware of your surroundings, and have a physical map as back up.
Parking
Parking is not free during the day.
Look for a parking stand or person with a yellow vest. You can pay this person to park there.
Make sure you also have Polish Zloty notes available.
Getting Gas/Petrol
Most Vans use B7 Diesel, but you must ensure you know the fuel your vehicle takes. Most vehicles will have acceptable fuels labeled on or around the fuel cap.
Try to keep your gas tank at least half full at all times in case of emergencies.
To purchase fuel, fill up first, then go inside and pay.
For All Volunteers: Dealing with Needs:
Be aware of the people around you.
Net-work with other volunteers who are where you are serving.
Keep your ears open.
Example: You hear or see people waiting in line to register at the refugee center. Ask them if they need water, food, blankets, chairs to sit on.
You will see or hear about situations that seem preventable and you may have a solution.
Example: You see people waiting in line to register at the refugee center. The line is moving slowly. You think: The center needs more chairs. I'll run to IKEA and buy some. STOP
First; Find out if there is a process already in place and people in charge who can solve this problem.
Second: Contact these people and ask how you can help with needs (money) or offer insight. Do not take on a problem-solving project alone.
Third: If you decide to take on a problem-solving project (e.g. a family needs a stroller or a carrier for a pet to be allowed in a hotel) you may use your own funds and ability to meet those needs.
Interacting with Refugees
DO NOT OVER-PROMISE TO REFUGEES. Be confident enough to say NO to certain requests.
We can not solve every problem. We have been asked to pay to microchip dogs for air travel, drive a family back to the border to pick up their cat (an additional 5 hours of travel and an unavailable van) and had a family return to us after taking them to Germany because the daughter didn't want to learn German. If you feel particularly drawn to these individual needs, that's okay. These are merely given as examples.
You can typically offer a one or two night hotel stay to refugees in most situations. One or two nights is ideal for people who have an onward destination and simply need a place to rest for the night.
A Hotel room can be funded by you or use a contact in the United States.
As of now we DO NOT have the resources to provide:
Long-term housing
Employment Assistance
Legal Assistance. These matters are handled by the governments of each European nation.
Respect privacy.
Do not take pictures or videos of refugees without their consent. They are not spectacles or projects, they are people.
Refugees are often very patient when you try to communicate with them. Be patient with them too. Kindness transcends all languages.
If live translation assistance is not available, another resource is the Google Translate app. You should have this app with Polish, Russian and Ukrainian downloaded to your phone for use even when you don’t have a data connection (a frequent occurrence).
This app is a great tool but not perfect. When speaking English to be translated, speak as clearly and simply as possible. Avoid idioms and slang. Use "Yes" and "No" questions. Consider the literal meaning of your words, for example:
Example “Do you guys need help” doesn’t make sense when you’re speaking to a group of women. Instead say, “Do you need help?” or “Does your group need help?”
Example “How do you feel” is too broad when translated literally. Instead say, “Are you sick?” or “Do you need medical help?”
This seems like a small issue but it can make a significant difference when trying to establish trust and maintain clear understanding of expectations for both parties.
FUND RAISING:
Any fund raising under the name of Type of Wood is restricted to helping the Ukrainian people. Type of Wood does not reimburse volunteers' personal out of pocket costs. This does not apply to any money you raise under your own name.
As a final note:
Thank you for joining us in this great work. Be sensitive to inspiration and be prepared to see miracles. We see miracles every day! If you have questions, concerns, or feedback on our processes, please reach out to the group or to a member of Type of Wood.
Page updated
Report abuse