Port of Łódź with another campaign to support Ukrainians
In the Port of Łódź, another initiative after "Boutique Pełnym Dobra" was launched to support Ukrainian families who found refuge in the Łódź region. "Holiday BezTroska" is an action planned for Ukrainian children who came to Łódź with their families after February 24 this year. The initiative is also addressed to children from Polish families who find themselves in a difficult situation and need support. Thanks to the cooperation of the Swim For a Dream Foundation, Port Łódź and IKEA Łódź, nearly 200 children aged 6 to 12 will be able to spend this year's summer on free holiday stays. The youngest will be provided with care, lunch, thematic workshops, sports activities and trips around Łódź for 8 hours a day.
There are over 114,000 Ukrainian and Ukrainian women in the Lodzkie Voivodship, of which over 18,000 are children (data from the Union of Polish Metropolises) who, together with their parents and guardians, had to flee their country before the ongoing war there. Port Łódź, IKEA Łódź, Centrum Służby Rodzinie and the Humana organization in March this year. have joined forces to open a "Boutique Pełen Dobra" in the Center with free clothing for people in need of support. So far, over 5,000 people have used the boutique's offer, and over 10,000 items of clothes and accessories have been issued. Now, in connection with the beginning of summer holidays, Port Łódź is launching another campaign that will ensure a carefree holiday for Ukrainian children staying in Łódź. The initiative is also dedicated to Polish children whose parents cannot afford to pay for holidays or day camps for their children.
The holiday stays are divided into thematic weeks: sports, creative and language weeks. From Monday to Friday, children are provided with care by Polish and Ukrainian educators. The youngest participate in stationary classes organized in two rooms provided by Port Łódź, equipped by the IKEA Łódź store. Children are provided with a daily lunch at the IKEA Restaurant, as well as additional attractions: a ropes course at Patio Port Łódź, a Port Łódź Junior playroom and a Sport Station in the green recreation area of the Center, where there are football, volleyball, basketball, boulevard. , mini-golf course, chess, ping-pong tables and many other spaces conducive to physical activity. Every day there are also activities planned outside the Port of Łódź: a visit to the EC1 Planetarium, trips to the Orientarium at the ZOO, activities at the swimming pool, a climbing wall, a bowling alley, as well as film screenings at the Helios cinema. Children, through play and integration, will also be able to learn or improve English, Polish and Ukrainian.
"For the Port of Łódź and IKEA, it is very important to regularly support the local community, which includes Ukrainians, who currently constitute 11% * of the inhabitants of Łódź. We realize that nowadays organizing holidays for children is a big organizational and financial challenge, especially for families and carers who cannot afford to provide rest for their children due to the difficult situation in which they find themselves. We want to help such families, support them and invite kids for holidays to us, to the Port of Łódź, where, together with IKEA and the Swim For a Dream Foundation, we have prepared a number of free attractions for this summer," says Maria Szwed from the Port of Łódź.
Parents and guardians will be able to sign up their children for August holiday stays from 18 to 22 July. Registration takes place through a special form available in Polish and Ukrainian on the website of the Swim For a Dream Foundation. The formal issues contained in the Regulations of the initiative, as well as the order of applications, decide about accepting a child for a holiday stay. The campaign is organized by the Swim For a Dream Foundation, the initiators and sponsors of the project are Port Łódź and IKEA Łódź.
