Flood 2024 - Poland needs support

This summer, our volunteer Sebastian brought more than furniture to flood-affected families in Poland’s Klodzko Valley — he brought back the feeling of home. From a 74-year-old woman finally sitting in her own living room again, to children sleeping in freshly cleaned beds, each delivery was a step toward recovery. With your support, hope is returning, one home at a time.

Hope Returns to the Klodzko Valley

When the waters finally receded in the Klodzko Valley, they left behind more than damaged walls and muddy floors. They left months of uncertainty, exhaustion, and a quiet question in the hearts of those affected: Will life ever feel normal again?

For a 74-year-old woman in one of the villages, that question had no easy answer. Since September last year, she had been living away from her home while repairs were underway. The walls were patched, the floors renewed, but when she finally stepped back inside, she found herself in empty rooms. No sofa to rest on. No table for her morning tea. No cabinet to hold her papers and memories.

On July 19, Sebastian – one of our most dedicated volunteers – made the long journey by train to visit her. They spoke, they laughed, and together they chose a sofa, a coffee table, and a storage cabinet. “She picked everything herself,” Sebastian recalls with a smile. The next day, the furniture arrived, and for the first time in almost a year, she could sit in her own living room, sip tea, and feel at home again.

But there were many more homes waiting for comfort.

On August 2, Sebastian set off again – this time for a much bigger mission. He loaded his van with:

• 13 beds and mattresses (each mattress washed and cleaned by Sebastian himself),
• 24 interior doors,
• 3 shower cabins,
• bags of children’s and mothers’ clothing, washed and sorted with care.

The deliveries reached families in different corners of the valley:

• 5 beds went to a family struggling to make ends meet,
• 7 to an agrotourism business fighting to reopen,
• 1 to an elderly woman living alone.

Most of the doors found their new homes at the LUK center in Bystrzyca Klodzka, while one shower cabin brought comfort to a family still rebuilding.

By the time Sebastian returned home in the early hours of August 3, it was long past midnight. The journey had been exhausting, but he knew that in the morning, children would wake up in clean, comfortable beds. Families would close new doors in their homes. Someone would take their first hot shower in months.

And yet, the work is not done. Five more beds are still needed to meet the urgent requests from families in the area.

Recovery after a disaster is never just about rebuilding walls. It is about restoring dignity, comfort, and the feeling that life can be beautiful again. Thanks to your generosity, Sebastian has been able to bring these moments of hope to the Klodzko Valley.

From a sofa in a quiet living room to a clean bed in a child’s room, your support is turning donations into stories of resilience.

Thank you for being part of this journey – and for reminding these communities that they are not alone.