Boeing, teams in Poland help colleagues from Ukraine

March 30, 2022 in Community

In recent weeks Poland has faced the largest influx of migrants since the end of the Second World War. In an unprecedented, unified effort, the Polish people and authorities have been able to provide shelter for over 2 million people from Ukraine. Employees from all three Boeing sites in Poland are helping their colleagues from Kyiv — from finding a safe place to sleep to providing them with all the means to continue their work.

“I can’t really express my feelings […], everybody is trying to do their best to help us. It is just — wow!” said Anna Samchuk, a Boeing employee from Kyiv, standing in the middle of a room at the Boeing site in Gdansk that is filled with clothes and supplies donated by her local colleagues. Samchuk came to the city in northern Poland soon after the war in Ukraine started.

“What was formerly a gym is now filled with supplies for Ukrainian colleagues as they arrive. Strollers and games and clothes for children can be found there,” said Marta Golyszny, Systems and Data Analyst at the Gdansk office.

Ukrainian colleagues, on arrival in Poland, are given a prepaid Boeing credit card to buy basic necessities — food, clothing, over-the-counter medicines and toiletries. Colleagues in Poland have also been providing help with additional practical challenges, such as enrolling children for school or kindergarten, through to getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster and finding a veterinarian to care for house animals. Across Europe, colleagues are offering practical support, fundraising, donating.

Additionally, Boeing donated $2 million to support humanitarian response efforts in Ukraine and is matching qualifying employee donations to eligible charities through its gift match program.

Humanitarian relief efforts align with the company’s ongoing commitment to the communities where our Boeing employees live and work. Boeing is active and engaged in Europe, contributing a combined $11 million in charitable contributions across the continent over the last five years. In 2021, Boeing donated $13 million to disaster relief and humanitarian efforts globally.