Part 3: Przemysl

On the train from Warsaw to Przemysl, I stopped at Jaroslaw which like my father was named for Yaroslav the Wise circa 1031.  Note: the spelling varies slightly when translated from the Cyrillic alphabet.

From there, it was a 15 minute cab ride to my ancestral village of Makowisko. . 

It’s a classic immigration story.  My paternal grandparents immigrated to the U.S. circa 1910 from what was then the northeastern Austro-Hungarian Empire.  They met in New York City, married and moved to western Pennsylvania where they gave birth to eight children (seven survived into adulthood).  Note: both my grandparents died well before I was born.

I visited Makowisko on a Sunday and church was standing room only – outside.

The nearby cemetery is well maintained.

And there, I found what could be relatives.  This is my grandmother’s maiden name (but I knew it spelled with an “h” vs. “z”).

And perhaps here’s another distant relative.  Note:  the “z” was Americanized to “h” at Ellis Island for simplicity (and I ask everyone who’s had trouble spelling this name – did that help?).  Note: with post-war shifting borders, both Jaroslaw and Makowisko are now in Poland.

From there I continued to Przemsyl…

… just 14 km (9 miles) from the Ukraine border.

The train station was abuzz with activity. People were headed both directions across the border. Some were escaping war zones into Poland while others were returning to areas in Ukraine deemed safe. There were huge queues for visa clearance. Everyone was very patient.

The train station was well staffed with volunteers to help direct people and to assist with luggage.

Free SIM cards were available for new arrivals.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) had two locations on either side of the train station.

Nearby, WCK set up a massive kitchen inside a warehouse.

I was one of 15 volunteers who registered this day. Interestingly, all were American — from Alaska to Florida and parts in-between.

After proof of vaccination and a Covid test, we were given a kitchen tour, then briefed on assignments.

Only professional chefs — all volunteers — are permitted to work in the kitchen. This gigantic pot of soup will feed thousands.

The kitchen was well stocked with fresh food.

The coordination is very precise.

This is Executive Chef Noah who hails from Georgia. He is obsessed with quality and stressed we are to serve meals as we’d expect from a fine dining experience, and at the expected temperature.

From there, QR codes directed volunteers to various distribution points.

I was assigned to the now-defunct Tesco outside of town.

What was once a massive department store has been converted into a temporary housing facility. Refugees typically come-and-go within 48 hours as they move on to other destinations.

Mobile shower and toilet facilities are available.

Laundry is a bit random.

I worked an 11 hour shift serving food at WCK inside Tesco.

A variety of cereal was available all day.

Fresh fruit was available, and by far, the peaches were the most highly desired.

In addition to serving hot meals with meat and vegetables, we also served hot paninis.

This Ukrainian / English translation guide was nearby.

My big “game changing” accomplishment was to disassemble the milk nozzles and clean out the dried residue.  The local team was thrilled to see the milk flowing freely again (I provided training for the future).

Thank you to everyone who has donated to World Central Kitchen. They are highly organized and very professional. My admiration grows with each experience. Donations are welcome via this link https://donate.wck.org/give/396273/#!/donation/checkout

Please stay tuned for part 4 next week which pulls me an entirely new direction, i.e., over my head. Please appreciate all that you have.