19/07/2022
At 11.30 pm on the 7th and 3.30 am on the 8th of July I had the pleasure of welcoming our first Ukraine guests to Carndonagh Accommodation.
A group of mostly young mothers and their children tiered and weary after a 5 hour long journey from City West in Dublin, not knowing where they were going to end up.
There were lots of tears and hugs when they realised that their new homes were in a beautiful little town, clean warm , comfortable and safe and they were not sharing with other family group's everyone has their own space a luxury that they haven't had for a while...
I can honestly say that I have never been so humbled as they were so appreciative of their new homes and could not thank us enough for providing a comfortable safe home for them and their children after a having to flee their own homelands. Mostly their partners and parents remain in Ukraine a constant worry for them but they continue to smile.. in public at least
I have spent a busy rewarding week helping to get them settled in filling out paperwork school registration etc and helping with shopping busses and just answering their questions of which there are many π . They are so thankful for everything I've been invited to lunch dinner several times and had a beautiful cake π° baked for me.
They enjoyed a day out in the sun yesterday some went to Buncrana and others to beaches they can not believe how beautiful it is here something we take for granted ourselves.
I hope their time spent in Carndonagh Accommodation will be a happy time for them despite the sad reality of why they are here. I am enjoying getting to know them and trying to get their names right π€ I am grateful for this opportunity to work with such beautiful people π