Disaster Response Poland Project #66756

Rebuild hope for flood-affected kids in Poland

by Windmills of Masuria Association

Project Report | Jul 23, 2025
When the water took everything

By Iwona Olkowicz | Project coordinator

the scale of flood damage 1

- - - Polish version below - - -

This is not a story with a happy ending…

I’m writing to you today to say I’m sorry. Sorry that we won’t be buying 500 backpacks or 500 pairs of shoes for children who lost everything in the floods. Sorry that we will only be able to help one family. A family that lost the most in the floods – not just their home, but also their father.

Let me start from the beginning.

Ania’s family is made up of three children and a loving husband – the father of two little girls, ages 4 and 6, and a 14-year-old son. They lived in a village hit hardest by the floods, where entire homes were literally swept away by the water. Their home was one of them.

They managed to receive some financial aid and started to renovate a house in another village in the Klodzko Valley, hoping to rebuild their lives. But Ania’s husband couldn’t carry the weight of this new reality. On Good Friday, just before Easter, he took his own life.

Ania and the children were left alone with debts and a half-renovated house: trenches around the foundation, broken heating, a hole in the roof. The house is in terrible condition. All of them sleep in a single room, the only space barely fit for living.

Then came another obstacle: the law. Ania’s husband was the legal owner of the house, which means she cannot receive any government or local aid until the inheritance process is completed – and that takes time. Meanwhile, they urgently need funds to pay professionals to continue the renovation. Local organizations managed to secure building materials, but the family still needs to renovate the children’s rooms, equip the kitchen and bathroom, and buy beds and desks for the kids.

Ania and her children are emotionally shattered. The boy has become withdrawn, while the girls miss their dad deeply and ask their mother every day: “Is daddy watching us? Will we ever see him again?” They all need therapy to find a way to live on, with hope that the future can be better.

The flood happened in September 2024, almost a year ago. But the tragedies of the Klodzko Valley residents continue. The media have moved on, replaced by other global crises. Our fundraiser received its last donation in December 2024.

That is why we have decided to close this project and send all the funds we collected ($265) to support Ania and her children.

If you still wish to support families affected by the floods, the Federation of Community Foundations continues to collect donations, which are transferred to the the Snow Mountain Community Foundation– the member organization working on the ground, helping flood victims every day: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/restore-hope-for-flood-affected-families-in-poland/updates/

If you wish to support our ongoing work with youth, we would be grateful for your contribution here: http://goto.gg/49158

To nie jest historia z happy endem

Pisze do Ciebie, zeby Cie przeprosic. Przeprosic za to, ze nie kupimy 500 plecaków ani 500 par butów dla dzieci, które ucierpialy w powodzi. Przeprosic tez za to, ze wesprzemy tylka jedna rodzine. Rodzine, która w wyniku powodzi stracila najwiecej – nie tylko dobytek, ale tez ojca. Ale od poczatku.

Rodzina Ani to troje dzieci oraz maz - kochajacy ojciec dwóch córeczek w wieku 4 i 6 lat oraz 14-letniego syna.

Ania mieszkala ze swoja rodzina w miejscowosci, która najbardziej ucierpiala w powodzi – domy doslownie splynely z fala powodziowa. Dom Ani i jej rodziny takze. Rodzinie udalo sie otrzymac wsparcie finansowe i wspólnie zaczeli remontowac dom w innej wsi w Kotlinie Klodzkiej. Maz Ani niestety psychicznie nie podolal temu wyzwaniu i w Wielki Piatek, tuz przed Swietami Wielkanocnymi, powiesil sie. Ania z rodzina zostali sami z dlugami i z calym remontem do zrobienia: podkopami, ogrzewaniem, dziura w dachu… Dom jest w fatalnym stanie, wszyscy spia w jednym pokoju, nadajacym sie jako tako do uzytku.

Pojawil sie kolejny problem – natury prawnej. Formalnie wlascicielem domu byl maz, wiec Ania nie mogla otrzymac zadnej pomocy z instytucji samorzadowych czy rzadowych. Bez postepowania spadkowego sprawa nie ruszy z miejsca, a to trwa. Potrzebne sa pieniadze na zaplacenie specjalistom od remontów, bo materialy budowlane udalo sie pozyskac przez lokalne organizacje spoleczne. Trzeba wyremontowac dzieciom pokoje, wyposazyc kuchnie, lazienke i kupic dzieciom lózka i biurka.

Dzieci i Ania sa w absolutnej rozsypce emocjonalnej. Chlopiec stal sie bardzo zamkniety w sobie, a dziewczynki bardzo tesknia za tata i codziennie zadaja mamie pytanie: czy tata na nas patrzy i czy kiedys go jeszcze spotkamy? Wszyscy wymagaja terapii, aby móc zyc dalej z nadzieja na lepsze.

Powódz byla we wrzesniu 2024, to prawie rok temu. Ale dramaty mieszkanców Kotliny Klodzkiej dzieja sie nadal. Temat w mediach ucichl, zastapily go inne tragedie na swiecie.

Nasza zbiórka otrzymala ostatnie wsparcie w grudniu 2024. Dlatego postanowilismy, ze zamykamy zbiórke i ze przekazemy wszystkie zebrane srodki ($265) na wsparcie Ani i jej rodziny.

Jesli chcesz wesprzec powodzian, to Federacja Funduszy Lokalnych dalej zbiera srodki, które potem przekazywane sa Funduszowi Lokalnemu Masywu Snieznika – organizacji czlonkowskiej, która jest najblizej potrzebujacych i caly czas pomaga powodzianom.

Link do zbiórki: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/restore-hope-for-flood-affected-families-in-poland/updates/

Jesli chcesz wesprzec nasze dzialania z mlodzieza, to prosimy o wplate: http://goto.gg/49158

the scale of flood damage 2

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Feb 3, 2025
We're raising money for Easter aid

By Iwona Olkowicz | Project coordinator

- - - /Polish version below/ - - -

The scale of destruction caused by the October flood was overwhelming. Even now, many residents are in desperate need of assistance. There are people who, even in January, are still living without heating or electricity. Although many organizations have stepped in to help the flood victims, we are overjoyed that the support from kind-hearted people hasn’t waned – even though the flood is no longer making headlines as it did 3-4 months ago.

We are in constant contact with the incredible leaders of the Snow Mountain Community Foundation, who have been tirelessly assisting those in need since day one of the flood. They organize the delivery of supplies to the most affected areas. Together, we’ve worked to identify the real needs of children impacted by the flood, ensuring that the support we provide is both meaningful and effective. The photo shows our meeting with volunteers in the Kodzko Valley, where we connected with the leaders of the Snow Mountain CF.

So far, we haven’t spent the funds raised through GlobalGiving because, together with the CF’s leaders, we decided to wait until spring to purchase new shoes for the children for the upcoming season. However, we now know we won’t reach our original goal of funding 500 care packages for children. As of now, we’ve raised $245, and we’re setting a new goal: to collect $1,000 by Easter. With this, we hope to support 20 young flood victims by providing them with brand-new spring shoes.

Will you help us make this happen?

Here’s what you can do to support the children:

- Donate $15 or more.

- Share our appeal with your friends and family.

Visit http://goto.gg/66756 and make another contribution. Let’s bring back joy and hope to these children and ensure that the good you give comes back with even greater strength.

Every dollar counts – thank you for your generosity!

- - - /Polish verion/ - - -

Zbieramy pieniadze na Wielkanocna pomoc

Skala strat w pazdziernikowej powodzi byla ogromna. Do tej pory wielu mieszkanców wymaga pomocy – sa osoby, które jeszcze w styczniu nie maja ogrzewania ani elektrycznosci. Wiele organizacji pomaga powodzianom, ku naszej radosci, pomoc dobrych ludzi nie ustaje, mimo, ze temat powodzi nie jest juz tak nosny jak 3-4 miesiace temu. Jestesmy w stalym kontakcie z liderkami Funduszu Lokalnego Masywu Snieznika, które codziennie od pierwszego dnia powodzi, pomagaja osobom w potrzebie i organizuja transport darów do najbardziej potrzebujacych. Chcielismy z nimi ustalic liste potrzebnych dzieciakom rzeczy, aby trafic w realne potrzeby. Zdjecie przedstawia nasze spotkanie z wolontariuszami w Kotlinie Klodzkiej, gdzie bylismy spotkac sie z liderkami FLMS.

My jeszcze nie wydalismy zebranych na GlobalGiving srodków, gdyz wspólnie z liderkami Funduszu Lokalnego Masywu Snieznika uznalismy, ze lepiej poczekac do wiosny i kupic dzieciom buty na nowy sezon. Juz wiemy, ze nie osiagniemy zamierzonego celu i nie zbierzemy srodków na zakup 500 paczek dla dzieci. Zebralismy do tej pory 245 USD i chcielibysmy do Wielkanocy zebrac 1000 USD, aby wesprzec 20 mlodych powodzian i zaopatrzyc ich w nowe wiosenne buty. Pomozesz nam w tym? Mamy jeszcze troche czasu, liczymy ze ten cel bedzie realny przy Twoim wsparciu.

Pomozesz nam w osiagnieciu tego celu?

Oto, co mozesz zrobic, abysmy wspólnie pomogli dzieciakom. Mozesz:

- wplacic 15 USD albo wiecej

- mozesz przeslac nasza prosbe Twoim znajomym.

Wejdz na http://goto.gg/66756 i przekaz jeszcze jedna darowizne. Niech dobro wraca do dzieciaków ze zdwojona sila.

Jesli rozliczasz podatki w Polsce, to mozesz tez przekazac Stowarzyszeniu Wiatraki Mazur swoje 1,5% od podatku dochodowego. Wystarczy, ze w zeznaniu rocznym wpiszesz nasz nr KRS: 0000401481. Ty nic nie tracisz (bo i tak placisz podatki), a my zyskujemy wsparcie na kontynuacje naszych dzialan z mlodzieza. Z góry dziekujemy!

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