The images of the war in Ukraine and above all of the effects on the civilian population have been dominating world events and media reports for weeks. As great as the distress of those affected is, the wave of willingness to help is also great in Upper Austria.
This is reflected in the many private initiatives that have emerged to provide, in one way or another, financial or material assistance to those most affected by the war. The palette is large. Cakes are baked and sold to raise money, or people make parts of their apartments or houses available to refugees from Ukraine.
At the weekend, OÖ Nachrichten and the Red Cross launched the fundraising campaign “Upper Austria helps Ukraine”. The donations ensure that every cent goes to the needy people in the war zone as well as in the neighboring countries, who have to look after, house and care for the many refugees from Ukraine.
You can donate here
The donation account of the Red Cross Upper Austria for its humanitarian commitment in Ukraine:
AT83 3400 0002 0011 3654 SWIFT: RZ00AT2L, Purpose: Ukraine
He’s all about helping
Hermann Hochreiter, pensioner, Gunskirchen
When war broke out in Ukraine two weeks ago, Hermann Hochreiter was delivering wheelchairs and walkers. 13 kilometers from the Ukrainian-Romanian border, he accompanied an aid project. Since the fighting began, the cell phone of the 81-year-old (!) has been ringing every minute. “I’m all about helping, and people know that,” says the former community worker.
Hochreiter organized his first aid transport shortly after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Since then he has accompanied 481 aid deliveries to Romania, Moldova, Lithuania, Kosovo and Macedonia. Ukraine knows Hochreiter from 25 missions. The first relief supplies he set up were brought to the crisis area last week. The best way to help is with monetary donations, says Hochreiter. This money is used to buy baby food, diapers, blankets, clothing and non-perishable food. “I can’t do anything with oranges and bananas, even if it’s well intentioned,” says Hochreiter from experience. Sometimes people hand him the money because they know that good things will happen with it: “Of course I keep a cash book because I don’t let anyone say anything about me.” Through his decades of commitment to humanity, Hochreiter has built up a large network in Eastern Europe built up, which now opens many doors for him. The Gunskirchner has already announced his coming to his contact in the Ukraine (“A simple woodworker who speaks five languages”).
Two trucks full of donations from Marchtrenk
City of Marchtrenk: FullHaus, Goethestraße 7
On Sunday, many dedicated Marchtrenkers pitched in and sorted and packed the many donations in kind that have been collected in the FullHaus since the beginning of the war in the Ukraine. In the meantime, two trucks full of relief supplies have already been sent on their way.
Currently, 20 people from Ukraine have received a temporary home in Marchtrenk and are being accommodated privately. “Further private quarters for 30 to 40 people can be made available at short notice,” says Mayor Paul Mahr. On Friday, a family with a disabled child who uses a wheelchair was accommodated in a barrier-free house. Mahr hopes that other house and apartment owners who can provide living space for the refugees will get in touch.
The fundraising campaign is being coordinated together with the Herz für Ukraine association – association for charity and education, donation account: Marchtrenk for Ukraine, IBAN AT87 3468 0000 0818 9086.
Action together with the OÖ. country help
District offices of ÖVP and SPÖ in Grieskirchen, Stadtplatz 34 and Prechtlerstr. 23
Many young people are also committed to the people of Ukraine, such as the members of the Junge ÖVP Grieskirchen. On Friday they set up a collection point at the VP district office in Grieskirchen where donations could be handed in. The transport will be carried out together with the OÖ. Landlerhilfe organized.
Donations in kind can be handed in at the SPÖ district office in Grieskirchen on Mondays and Tuesdays (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.), which are then taken to the Volkshilfe central warehouse in Hörsching.
Rapid help on site
Neukirchen am Walde delivered relief supplies in the twin town
With an aid convoy consisting of one truck and five small trucks full of donations, twelve helpers from Neukirchen am Walde and Natternbach reached the Romanian border town of Tarna Mare on Thursday evening. On Ukrainian territory, not far from the border, the relief supplies were loaded onto a long-distance train bound for Kyiv and taken to a warehouse.
“When you see so many people who only have to flee with the bare essentials, it breaks your heart,” says Kurt Kaiserseder. The former mayor of Neukirchen accompanied the transport, as did the mayor of Natternbach, Nadine Humberger. A donation account has also been set up. The money will be used to buy groceries for the Ukrainian refugees in the sister city of Tarna Mare. 27,000 euros have already been credited to the escrow account.
A place to live
Georg Resch, entrepreneur, Wels
Georg Resch has already welcomed a mother who fled the Ukraine with her two children, and he is offering 15 other refugees a place to live in the former headquarters of Resch & Frisch on Welser Schlossstraße. “But we also want to help in the country itself and have therefore started an aid campaign together with Round Table and our employees.” The Welser Serviceclub donated 10,000 euros, which Resch matched.
The money is to be invested in urgently needed food, bandages, sleeping bags, insulating mats, heating blankets and much more and transported to the Ukrainians with the Gartner forwarding agency. The donation account is IBAN: AT14 1513 0002 8301 6400, booking text “Ukraine 2022”. Donations in kind are also accepted. Detailed information can be requested from office@rt6wels.at.
Source: Nachrichten
