Q&A
How have you been supporting the humanitarian effort?
“Having worked at FNZ for years, I knew my fellow FNZers would want to help support the crisis in Ukraine. Our collective support all started with an email. I needed to raise more awareness, raise more money and involve more volunteers so I emailed colleagues in Brno and asked them for help."
“Everyone rallied, and with their help I delivered around 10 tons of supplies – rice, flour, oil, canned food, baby food and more – to the parish by car over 15 trips. It’s a 700 km drive and some colleagues even volunteered to accompany me, so we could alternate driving and get there faster. It made me feel really proud when so many people volunteered or donated after just one email asking for help.”
What inspired you to begin raising support?
“In my opinion, even a small act of support can make a difference to those affected by conflict. And since there’s an FNZ hub in Brno, we’re closer to the conflict than other FNZ offices. It means we hear firsthand what’s happening to people across Ukraine."
“When I found out about the crisis I wanted to help any way I could. I learned of an organization gathering donations of money, food and supplies for those impacted. Specifically, they were providing support for a small village over the Hungarian border which had around 20,000 refugees now living there."
“With major charities rightly focusing on bigger towns and cities, I could help this small organization make a big difference by getting involved in their humanitarian effort.”
Did you have to overcome any obstacles?
“The work I do at FNZ for our clients is important, so finding time to drive to Khust was a challenge at times. Everyone gets a volunteer day at FNZ, so I made good use of mine. And my manager was very understanding and allowed me to be flexible with my schedule."
“Border control was also a bit of a challenge at times. There was always the worry that we wouldn’t get our supplies to those who needed it, but thankfully that never happened."
“On one occasion, a fellow FNZer and I spent six hours waiting to pass through border control. We shared stories about working at FNZ, laughed and watched movies to pass the time. I’m friendly with everyone I work with but this experience definitely brought a lot of us closer.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to ask for help and support at FNZ?
“Don’t overthink. Don’t worry about potentially negative outcomes. No matter how small or extraordinary the thing you want to achieve is – just try."
“I’ve never been much of a future planner and the approach serves me well as a developer – when every day can be so different from the last. When I spot a problem that needs to be solved or if I need help, I just reach out and ask. So, if you want to do something – like I wanted to help those affected by the crisis in Ukraine – just try it. At FNZ, there will always be someone willing to help.”
