04.07.2022
Making connections to support people from Ukraine in Rathmines
Making connections has been the focus of Holy Trinity’s initiatives to support people fleeing war in Ukraine who have arrived in the Rathmines area. A number of families in the parish have taken in refugees from Ukraine and the church is also holding social events and classes to help people integrate.
Chloe Donnan is a pastoral, prayer and service leader at Holy Trinity and is overseeing the parish’s response to the crisis. She explains that they started by asking parishioners to consider if they had room to provide accommodation. A number had already put their names forward through the Red Cross initiative.
A friend of Chloe’s had worked in Ukraine and got in touch to say that she knew of a mother and child who needed accommodation. Further connections were made and a number of people were offered accommodation in the parish through word of mouth. Chloe recalls one girl who arrived in the hub in Dublin Airport who was overwhelmed at being told that a family wanted to take her in and asked why she was so special.
The parish also took a stand at the nearby Swan Centre where a swimming coach from Ukraine organised an event to show refugees what was available in the area. From that event they saw that English classes were needed and the Rector, the Revd Rob Jones, offered to host classes in the church in association with Atlas Language School. The parish and the parish school, Kildare Place School, had to fundraise for this and between donations and generous support from Dublin City Council they raised €5,000 for the project.
Now English language classes, at various levels, take place in the church daily during the week and this also supports the participants in building community. Volunteers from the parish also bake several times a week to provide treats for participants.
A number of social events have taken place in the church and they have organised boardgames and chess evenings for children of all ages.
“People are delighted to be able to do something practical,” Chloe comments. “I felt, seeing the news, that it was so overwhelming. But this is what we can do. Obviously, word has spread because a few Sundays after we had the stand in the Swann Centre we found that there were a number of Ukrainians coming to church.”
On Easter Sunday church–goers witnessed a moving moment. A Ukrainian Christian led a prayer in Ukrainian which was translated into English by a young Russian woman who is a member of the Holy Trinity community. “The Russian girl didn’t know if the Ukrainian people would want her translating the prayer but it was very powerful to see two women from Russia and Ukraine praying together,” Chloe says.
There are quite a large number of people from Ukraine living in hotels in Rathmines and in student accommodation which is empty for the summer. Chloe said they have received a lot of advice from Angie Gough of Helping Irish Hosts which coordinates hosts who are supporting Ukrainians in Ireland and facilitates placements.
“We have said that we are here to help. We’re providing English classes and we’ve been able to help some people to find accommodation. The government is providing services for refugees but we feel we offer a spiritual place for them. This is an open door. People are welcome here, which is how a church should be. It has been moving and emotional embracing people in our church. It has only been positive and a lot of people want to help make a difference,” she explains.
For other parishes who find that they are in an area where numbers of Ukrainians are living, Chloe suggests starting off with a coffee morning or an evening gathering (as many people are working). She adds that it is important to find out what is needed and points out that there are a lot of women here who may want to meet up while their children are in school. English language classes are very important as is learning how to reach people. She has learned that people from Ukraine don’t use email in the same way we do and use apps to keep in touch with each other.