Final Report from ISKCON Europe Relief Team
Preamble
On the 5th of March 2022 the Euro RGB gave their blessings for the creation of the
ISKCON Relief team. The core team that then moved forward with this relief
initiative was Kamala Priya dd, Mahaprabhu das, Parabhakti das, Praghosa dasa and
Sukanti Radha dd. So much has happened since then that it would be difficult to
include everything in this report but I will attempt to include all the key developments
via this summary:
Summary of support and help given via the ISKCON Relief
Team to Ukrainian Refugees
Core-Team Activities:
- Started to build the ISKCON Relief Core-Team
- Identified and established coordinators for the different European countries
- Developed a strategy for communication and cooperation between all the
coordinators and the core team
- Contacted temples in Ukraine and released information about the ISKCON
Relief Team and the support they can offer to refugees.
- Explained the safest route out of Ukraine, to an ISKCON community where they
could take shelter
- Assisted the coordinators in making contact with the refugees
- Provided information about the possibilities available in the European countries
both in the temples and congregational settings, as well as from government
sources
- Facilitated weekly meetings with the coordinators in providing information and
updates on the situation, as well as hearing reports from the different countries
hosting refugees, as well as the coordination of refugees moving to new places
- Facilitated online seminars in support of the coordinators by Rambhoru dd.
- Compiled weekly ISKCON Relief reports with updates, relevant news, pictures
and contact information, which were sent to ISKCON’s news channels such as
Dandavats and ISKCON News
- Initiated a Facebook and Instagram forum to keep everyone up to speed with
developments
- Distributed all funds received to the various yatras hosting refugees according to
need
- Arranged one onsite visit to the Czech Republic and Poland. Two members of the
Core Team traveled there along with two wealthy donors
Coordinator’s Activities:
- Regular communication with refugees to assist them in all possible ways
- Arranged pick-ups at stations and other transport hubs to bring the refugees to
their destinations
- Assisted with officially registering refugees in their new country
- Prepared living facilities to the best of their ability
- Provided prasadam on an ongoing basis
- Distributed prasadam on the border of Ukraine, in Hungary, Poland and the
Czech Republic etc
- Arranged appropriate service engagements for the refugees
- Assisted with the transit of refugees from one country to another
- Assisted with locating medical care when needed
- Provided mentorship and mental help assistance
- Provided clothes, hygiene items and other necessities for the refugees
- Provided local language courses
- Assisted with the registration of children at local schools and provided translation
services at local schools
- Assisted refugees with finding and securing employment
- Organised recreational events for both children, youth and adults
- Organised Russian-speaking Sunday programs
Please also find attached a chart showing the number of plates of prasadam that were
distributed during this effort.
In terms of finances, here is a summary of funds raised and then distributed. We used
both the ISKCON Communications account in Brussels, as well as an ISKCON
account in the UK.
ISKCON Communications Europe (ICE) Financial Report
Total donations received: €56,557 (euro) from 70 individuals/yatras/organizations
Donations sent (€ euro):
Poland — 28,000
Bulgaria — 8,500
Slovakia — 6,600
Germany — 4,500
Spain — 4,000
Hungary — 3,500
Total — €55,100
ISKCON UK Financial Report
Donations Received: £32,840.32 (stg) from 16 individuals/yatras/organizations
Donations sent (£ Stg):
Poland — 15,375.81
Hungary — 8,030.97
Czech / Slovakia — 5,093.90
Latvia — 1,714.53
Spain — 1,562.67
Other — 266.49
Total — £32,044.37