Cork Humanitarian Aid charity convoy returns from Ukraine border

It was after 7pm on St Patrick’s evening when the Cork Humanitarian Aid Ireland convoy rolled back onto Kennedy Quay, a full nine days after it had headed out for the Ukrainian border in Poland.

The convoy of five vans, carrying 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid bound for the Ukrainian border in Poland, was driven by volunteers from two Cork charities, four from Cork Penny Dinners and six from Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery.

While the volunteers were in Poland, they made connections along the border, delivering eight tonnes of aid to the Redemptorist Centre in Leżajsk, aid which was later distributed to towns in Ukraine, and providing seven tonnes of baby food and medical supplies to Kyiv-based cardiologist Anastasia Koloka.

They also delivered supplies to refugees arriving at Tarnów and Kraków train stations and they helped a number of women and children to get safely to Ireland.

'The crisis is only beginning'

Penny Dinners co-ordinator Caitriona Twomey, who was part of the group, praised the Cork volunteers for their hard work and said that, although they were all exhausted, they wanted to return to the Ukrainian border as soon as possible.

“We met people who have endured terrible suffering, and thanks to the generosity of the people of Cork, we have been able to help a little,” Ms Twomey said.

“Our plan is to head back out in the coming weeks.”

Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery treasurer Chris O’Donovan, who is a veteran of missions to Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania and Chernobyl, said the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine was the worst he had ever seen.

“This crisis is only beginning, and we are all hoping to go back and bring aid to those most in need,” he said.

Busy time for Cork charities 

In the time the Cork Humanitarian Aid Ireland convoy was away, it was business as usual for the two charities, with volunteers keeping the home fires burning.

Over the past nine days, Cork Penny Dinners served over 2,600 meals and with each meal they gave a survival pack containing a sandwich, fruit, chocolate, crisps and a dessert.

Volunteer Ray Horgan said the past week had been exceptionally busy at Penny Dinners’ Little Hanover Street headquarters.

“Whether it’s prices gone up, or just people feeling the pinch more than usual, or whatever it is, demand has just been crazy this past week,” he said.

He joked that as soon as co-ordinator Caitríona Twomey had left with the convoy, they had changed the locks, but then he said she had been in touch several times a day to ensure everything was running smoothly and said it would be good to have her home.

From Penny Dinners’ northside warehouse, volunteer Derry Falvey distributed over 150 hampers in the city, with each hamper containing a fortnight’s groceries.

Derry usually works in the warehouse with Dave ‘Dobbser’ Feeney, but Dobbser was with the convoy in Europe, doing most of the driving while The Echo reporter was generally useless.

(Dobbser does a lovely line in understated sarcasm, and when we had paid what was surely the tenth toll while driving along France’s pristine but privatised motorways he quipped: “Fair play to the French for redefining the phrase ‘highway robbery’”.)

Derry Falvey also volunteers with Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery, and the convoy, bound for the Rosslare ferry to Cherbourg, had barely cleared Youghal when they heard that Derry and fellow volunteer Dinny Kiely had rescued a young woman from the River Lee on Lapp’s Quay.

The two also assisted in a search for a missing person, which is something the group does regularly, and which has earned them a reputation for tirelessness and compassion.

Cork Humanitarian Aid Ireland volunteers intend to bring a further shipment of humanitarian aid to the Polish border in the coming weeks.

The shop will be in safe hands while they’re away.