XFEL: European XFEL supports Ukrainian refugees

 

Immediately after Russia started the war in Ukraine at the end of February, European XFEL and its staff set up support activities for people seeking refuge.

“The start of the war came as a shock to our facility and our multinational staff, especially as we have affected colleagues. Very quickly, we felt that this was followed by a wish to roll up our sleeves, to engage in concrete activities and help”, Managing Director Robert Feidenhans’l says.  

The European XFEL Guest House opened its doors to refugees in early March and has so far accommodated 32 Ukrainian adults and children in 24 rooms, making it one of the largest collective first accommodation points in Schenefeld.  A minute of silence was organized, and employees and the refugees on site together formed a Ukrainian flag in support of the country.

European XFEL colleagues engage in the areas of everyday support of the on-site guests such as buying food and other items needed for daily life, assistance in dealing with authorities and finding permanent accommodation, integration support including enrolment in language courses, children’s sport activities, schools and daycare applications and helping with professional orientation.

“Some of our Ukrainian guests have already left the campus as they found jobs and apartments in other parts of Germany and abroad. Their rooms are then given to others through our Ukrainian colleagues’ networks and local Ukrainian contacts”, says Guest House coordinator Sven Heberling, who has room requests lined up for the coming months already.

European XFEL employees have set up an on-site collection point for donations to Hamburg charity Hanseatic Help, coordinating the reception and sorting of the goods brought in by staff and organizing the transport to the charity’s warehouse. “In March alone, we have received over 50 boxes of donations on our site. The collected goods are delivered both to Ukraine and refugees here in Germany.  What is needed most changes frequently, so we constantly update our colleagues on what we are looking for at the next drop-off date”, says Gundel Winterhoff, one of the coordinators. It is currently planned that the support activities will run until autumn.