Benjamin Poupa (DLL) on the impact volunteering for refugees from Ukraine 

'From DLL, we were given the opportunity to sign up to volunteer for refugees from Ukraine. Because of the current state of technology and social media, but also because this war is taking place at a relatively short distance, all the misery does feel very close. Particularly the suffering that children have to go through because of this, made me decide to get actively involved in an attempt to alleviate this suffering. That's why I signed up to roll up my sleeves for a few hours every morning for a week.

Armed with a bag of fresh hot rolls from Lidl, I set out every morning for the former Rabobank office on Kronehoefstraat in Eindhoven. On the first day, I had no idea what to expect. Once we arrived, it was explained to us that it was mainly about clearing the building so that the professionals could start building the temporary accommodation for the refugees. The volunteers consisted of employees of Rabobank and DLL and there was a total group of 10-15 of us. Without problems and too many instructions, we got to work, divided into groups and within these groups we divided the tasks.

Desks were taken apart and the loose parts, chairs, bulletin boards, whiteboards and the like were taken down by elevator. From there, everything was loaded into moving trucks, which were again emptied into a storage area 10 minutes away.
Contrary to expectations, there turned out to be delicious (bean) coffee in the building, despite the warning that this would not be the case. This was gratefully used during the break to regain strength for the next round along with sandwiches. At the end of the morning we did a short evaluation; how had we experienced it, what could be improved, were expectations fulfilled, etc.? Then, tired but satisfied, we continued our working day at the office or from home.

Because I was there every morning, it was easy to see what kind of work was being done each day. One floor after another was emptied and the storage became fuller and fuller. It was very pleasant to work with everyone and it almost seemed to come naturally. Every morning there was a new group of people, but the atmosphere, cooperation and the result in question was always the same. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked hard, people from the service desk, legal, management, communication, IT and many other departments worked side by side. The result was worth it because on Thursday morning we were already told that no more people were needed for the following day because by then all the moving work would be done!

So you see what can be achieved with motivated people who have a common goal. I am aware that the help we have given here is only a tip of the iceberg and I am afraid that a lot of help will be needed for a very long time. However, I am hopeful that we would sustain this commitment for as long as it will be needed!