As the world watched the horror unfold in Ukraine nearly one year ago, Anna Kobylarz from Berlin just couldn’t, wouldn’t sit still.
“The week later, I was on my way with a suitcase full of medication,” Kobylarz, with the Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, said.
Since then, Kobylarz has returned more than eight times to the war-torn country, providing humanitarian aid to children including shipping 22 pallets, setting out for yet another trip on Wednesday.
Her focus now is providing care for dozens of orphans at the City of Goodness shelter.
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“I just fell in love with them, when I went there and waited for a generator, I just started taking care of them, fed them, played with them,” Kobylarz said.
During the first air raid alert while she was at the orphanage, Kobylarz found out there was no bomb shelter for the children. She then helped raise funds with the support of the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation for the construction of a building that would include a bomb shelter, house more children and respond to their acute needs.
“There is no peace, no peace like you would think is a peace because more children are coming,” Kobylarz said.
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Even as the war rages on, at times leaving the orphanage in the dark, Kobylarz hopes to bring light to a place that so greatly needs it - even one year later.
Kobylarz will be co-hosting a fundraiser called “Hearts for Ukraine” on Feb. 24 at Belvedere Restaurant from 6 to 9 p.m. All the proceeds from the fundraiser will help build a rehabilitation center for the City of Goodness shelter.
