Since July of 2022, the Conventual Franciscan Brother Sun Foundation, a work of the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow), has been running the Integration Club for Ukrainian Refugees Program. The Foundation holds meetings for the program in Cracow and Harmęże.

As part of this program, the Foundation conducts training workshops on cosmetic services, hairdressing, and flower farming, as well as courses in the Polish language, information technology and cooking. The training is meant to help refugees by giving them the professional skills they will need to find work. The language course is meant to help them assimilate in their host country by improving their communication skills.
In Harmęże, there is also a children’s recreation center, which allows mothers to participate in vocational training courses while, at the same time, providing childcare.
In addition, the program provides psychotherapeutic counseling and social adaption services for refugees. Since September of 2022, fifty-five training courses have been conducted for a total of two hundred and fifty people. The program is funded by Poland’s Ministry of the Family and Social Policy.
Also since September of 2022, the Foundation has been running a training program for volunteers who help refugees from Ukraine. This program provides volunteers with linguistic training on the basics of the Ukrainian language and psychological training for communicating with traumatized people. It also educates the volunteers about the experience of armed conflict and how to handle official and administrative matters.
The volunteers who participate in the training courses are better prepared to provide assistance and improve their skills. Ten volunteers have taken part in the training. The program is organized with the financial support of Poland’s Lesser Poland Province.
For more information and photos go to: https://bratslonce.pl/kluby-integracyjne-dla-uchodzcow-z-ukrainy/

Editorial Staff