This year the Odra-Niemen Association solemnly celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. The establishment of the association is inextricably linked to the social program “Compatriots to Heroes.” It can be said that without this Odra-Niemen would not exist, and certainly not in the form we know it today. The campaign to support veterans has spread far beyond the borders of Poland, and today reaches our compatriots scattered across the farthest lands of the former Republic, and beyond....

Started in Belarus

The seed for the birth of the “Compatriots to Heroes” campaign was sown, interestingly enough, on the territory of present-day Belarus. Namely, in 2009, representatives of Odra-Niemen visited Ms. Colonel Veronika Sebastianowicz-a legendary veteran of the Home Army in the Borderlands- in Iwieniec near Minsk. At the time, Ms. Veronika suggested that veterans like her and other AKs living in these lands need not only support, but also signs that younger generations remember them. A conversation with Mrs. Colonel inspired a group of people from Wroclaw to take action. As a result, Odra-Niemen, was reformed and given new life. The renewed association got busy preparing a campaign to support veterans both at home and in the Borderlands.

First action

Just a few months after the visit to Iwieniec, on Easter 2010, the first action “Parcel for a Polish veteran in the Borderlands” was organized, reaching out to members of the Association of Home Army Soldiers in Belarus. On the other hand, thanks to the huge response from people of good will, in 2011 the action changed its name and significantly increased its reach, becoming known from now on as “Compatriots to Heroes”.

Not just for veterans

Initially, the action was aimed at veterans, veterans, that is, in general, elderly people who fought for Poland. However, time passes inexorably and each year there were fewer and fewer such people. This threatened the gradual extinction of the whole enterprise. Therefore, the action “Compatriots to Heroes” began to be directed to wider social groups. Currently, the recipients of the aid are not only veterans, but also Polish parishes, schools, Polish Houses, teachers, Polish families, or simply senior citizens in the Borderlands. Thanks to this, they feel that their compatriots in their homeland remember them, and that their struggle to preserve Polishness makes sense.

Directions

Twice a year, before Christmas and Easter, thousands of Odra-Niemen members and volunteers set off for Poland and the Borderlands with kilograms of packages and warm hearts. Today, our activists are taking many directions. Help reaches people in Poland, of course, but also in Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus and Ukraine. Participants in the campaign visit both large cities and distant provinces. For example, a few years ago, “Compatriots to Heroes” reached, thanks to Lublin association members, Shylokarczma, near the Lithuanian-Russian border. The ongoing war also did not stop the delivery of packages to compatriots in Ukraine. It is worth mentioning here that in Volhynia, Lviv and Western Podolia, Odra Niemen Volunteers from the with the strong support of the Subcarpathian Branch of ON has delivered 120 tons of donations over the past two years. Recipients of this aid include the famous Polish nuns from Chortkov. Podkarpackie branch of the Odra-Niemen Association with a visit to seniors in Chortkiv, Ukraine, accompanied by Dominican Sisters

Distribution of gifts

Individual institutions, such as schools, distribute the packages they receive according to the needs of their wards. After all, they know the needs of the local community best. Andżeła Aidukiene, a teacher at the Polish school in Kovalchuk near Vilnius tells us:“We receive packages like this every year. We unpack the packages and divide them for needy families whose children study with us.” Parishes, religious orders or Polish Homes do the same. Thanks to this, aid reaches the most impoverished Poles living in particular areas.

More important meeting than packages

Material support alone is one thing, but equally important, and perhaps even more important, is the meeting with compatriots. Krystyna Frolova, president of the Odra-Niemen-Dniester Polish Cultural Center from Lviv points out:“We visit with these packages Polish families with many children, the elderly and lonely people. For them it is peculiarly important that they are remembered, that these are gifts from Poland.” Afterwards, he adds, “They always welcome us hospitably and send their warmest wishes to all the volunteers.” the visits often end in long conversations. Poles from the Borderlands, often coming from poor families, are very curious about what is happening in the country. They also share their memories and family messages. For the young volunteers, it is unusual opportunity, to hear witnesses of history.

Dissemination of history

Collection of items for parcels is carried out in schools, offices or through fundraising, which young people are eager to join. However, the “Compatriots to Heroes” campaign is not only parcels. For example, visits by veterans to schools are carried out to spread history among the youngest Poles. In addition, Christmas meetings are organized for veteran communities, as well as trips to various patriotic events. Older and younger people participate together in anniversaries of the outbreak of World War II, Soviet aggression, or Operation Ostra Brama. These additional elements of the campaign take place not only in Poland, but also in Lviv, Grodno, Vilnius and many other places.

All pro publico bono

The “Compatriots to Heroes” campaign has a lot of momentum, and this requires significant financial resources. That's why so many fundraisers and other types of collections are conducted for this noble cause. Our volunteers can be found on All Saints' Day or during national holidays. Scouts, schoolchildren, students, representatives of borderland organizations, Polish immigrants, veterans, and just ordinary people with noble hearts help and cooperate with us. It is worth noting that the Oder-Niemen Association does all this pro publico bono. Not a single penny that is thrown into the proverbial can goes into the Association's coffers. The organization draws its funds from other sources, while the money collected for the action “Compatriots The ”Heroes“ go entirely to this cause. After all, this action is the beloved child and flagship project of Odra-Niemen.

Long-term task

Although the number of veterans is constantly decreasing, the ”Compatriots to Heroes“ campaign will continue. Our compatriots in the Borderlands need our support and memory. Now it is ordinary people who are becoming an extension of Polishness in the eastern lands of the former Republic. In the words of Podkarpackie branch of Odra-Niemen chairman Krystian Fila : ”It is not an art to call oneself a Pole while living in the homeland, in times of peace. The trick is to live in the former Borderlands, in spite of many adversities to cherish Polishness for generations and not to lose love for it, and to proudly say that you are Polish.“ At the same time he emphasizes-”These people are heroes to us!".also the younger generation living in the country should be taught about the history of the Borderlands, in which such an action is very useful. Each of us can join in bringing aid to Poles in the Borderlands. The list of volunteers needed is long, so there will be plenty of places. All forms of support are welcome. It really doesn't take much to take part in something great.

Various support options

SUPPORT

You can support our campaign in several ways. By making a donation in the Compatriots to Heroes collection on Siepomaga or by buying a brick in our charity store. You can also prepare a package or selected products and deliver them to one of the collection points. All information can be found on the action's website rodacybohaterom.pl. We invite you to take part in the action and support veterans and compatriots from the Former Polish Borderlands!