How it started
The impetus to set up the foundation was the sudden influx of refugees from Ukraine after the Russian attack of 24 February 2022. Because of its proximity to the border, Lublin became one of the main reception points in Poland — it took in over a million people, and some sixty thousand stayed permanently.
Aware that the conflict would last, we did not stop at emergency aid. "Spirit of Ukraine" was created as a program covering several areas at once, because in such a situation a single form of support is never enough.
Why we run it
Someone who has just lost their home does not need one thing — they need safety, work and community at the same time. The program was designed from the start to address these needs in parallel rather than one after another.
In 2023 the Mayor of Lublin, Dr Krzysztof Żuk, honoured the Stock Foundation with the "Lublin to the Heroes" medal for its work during the humanitarian crisis.
How it works in practice
The program covered six areas: therapy led by qualified psychologists, regular job fairs with employers, music scholarships, vocational training (office and computer skills, barista and baker courses — trades Lublin needed), donations of equipment and materials for schools hosting refugee children, and Polish language courses.
The Polish language courses ran from July 2022 to December 2023: more than 100 participants completed 632 lessons in 7 groups. In 2023 the support reached 9 schools in Lublin with 3,800 pupils, including 800 children from Ukraine.
Two areas of the program continue as separate initiatives: psychological support and music scholarships.
