Last things...

... before we return in mid-September. Yesterday was Bob's last English lesson with the older children, postponed from the previous day when the siren went off. They went for an ice-cream in the rain!

Today was the last fruit distribution, for now. We take most of the fruit to the nearby Polish aid centre that has regular contact with about 100 children. Today, we also took some books that were bought out of a kind donation from one of the Ukrainians who has moved to England.

We put the remaining fruit in small bags, which we distribute to the various sleeping areas, targeting older and/or disabled people. This has had the positive side effect of us being present 3-4 days a week in these poorly lit, dismal areas, listening to people's stories and giving advice on sponsorship schemes if asked, but mostly, showing people that they haven't been forgotten. Yesterday I was told that someone thought of us as family now, which felt quite an honour.

We would love to be able to continue providing fruit when we return but we have run out of funds. There is a concern, in general, about food distribution in the coming months, voiced by Jose Andres, whose World Central Kitchen (WCK) group has served more than 130m meals in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February. He noted that donations were easing as the war drags on, which meant that WCK, which provides short-term emergency relief, must start winding down operations just as winter is coming.

We're aware that people in the UK and elsewhere will be struggling this winter, particularly with rocketing fuel bills. Therefore, it's an even bigger 'ask' for continued donations for refugees in a war that shows no sign of ending any time soon. But we'll continue to ask.