WASHINGTON–More than $72,000 was raised during an event at Ukraine House here for the Via Stella Foundation, a joint U.S/Polish initiative to help credit unions and people in Ukraine and Poland who are victims of the Russian war upon Ukraine.

The Via Stella Foundation was created in 2022 by Sue Mitchell of Mitchell Stankovic, Brian Branch, the former CEO of the World Council of Credit Unions, and Rafal Matusiak, who heads Poland’s national credit union trade group.

In all, U.S. credit unions and individuals have donated more than $800,000 to Via Stella.

“Polish credit unions have put of three times that amount, $2.4 million” in donations and services,” said Branch in remarks to the reception at Ukraine House. 

U.S. credit unions were in town as part of America’s Credit Unions GAC. 

‘An Assembly Line’

Branch shared numerous stories and examples of the work being done by Via Stella, which has now purchased and supplied 13 ambulances to Ukraine. Those ambulances are filled with medical supplies, trauma medicines and food. Branch said the process of supplying the ambulances has become an “assembly line” over the past few years. 

Branch said that many of the Ukrainian families that escaped to Poland and who originally planned to return home have not done so because an area the size of Florida is rife with landmines. 

‘Sense of Hope’

“This is giving people a sense of hope and that resilience that we admire in the Ukrainian people,” said Branch. “This is the kind of impact you have made.”

Poland’s national trade group handles all of the administrative work for the foundation so that all funds go to help victims.

In his remarks at the event at Ukraine House Matusiak thanked credit unions for their support and reminded everyone of the reason for the work. 

‘No Coincidence’

“It’s no coincidence we meet under the slogan, ‘Children of the war.’ The greatest victims of this barbaric war are children,” Matusiak said.

During the reception at Ukraine House Unitus Community CU announced it would be making another donation of $7,500 to the foundation. UCCU CEO Steve Stapp has been active in assistance to Ukraine. Mitchell Stankovic announced it would be donating $5,000.

About the Work Being Done

During the event Via Stella shared some additional details on its work: 

• It said requests for ambulances come from Polish credit unions that have ties to Ukrainian communities, from Polish medical volunteers that collaborate with the foundation, and from credit unions in Ukraine communities.  “Four have gone to the Zaporizhzhia region where Russian shelling and mines have exacted a high toll of civilian casualties,” the foundation said.
• During the first two years of the war, Via Stella led a credit union effort to place refugee families in apartments for six months so that they could get their children in school and find work.  This helped stabilize both the refugees and the communities into which they settled.  In all, 48 families were helped. That phase finished last year.
• Via Stella and local credit unions provided breakfasts and lunches for schools enrolling Ukrainian refugees.  Via Stella also provided Polish language lessons to help the children adapt quickly, then later Ukrainian language and culture lessons so they would not lose their heritage.
• Via Stella provided psychological counseling so that their health and learning would be less hampered by the trauma many had experienced.  While Via Stella directly provided for 542 students, partnering credit unions reached three times that number, the foundation said. “This phase continues to be a major priority.”
• Via Stella has partnered with the credit union insurance company in Poland and credit unions in five communities to set up women’s health clinics in their communities to serve refugee women.
• For financial stability, refugees have been invited to open credit union accounts for longer term financial savings and access to payments.  “The number doing so was slow at first because many planned to return to Ukraine as soon as possible.  The number has increased over the last year as the war has continued, many now have steady work and as many mothers now tell us they are afraid for their children to return to mined areas,” the foundation said. “Consequently, credit unions tell us the number of refugee members in increasing.
• The foundation has provided 51generators during the winter months to support local heating shelters in rural communities or urban apartment blocks and for schools.  Kinecta FCU in California has been a major provider of funds for the generators. 

About the Foundation

Information on Via Stella can be found here: https://www.viastella.pl/about-the-foundation/