Three Flagler Health+ Employees, One Polish Family on a Mission to Help Ukrainian Refugees

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, more than 4.2 million refugees have left everything behind to find safety, with many fleeing to neighboring Poland. Flagler Health+ employees Kasia Deme (center), her mother Ewa Chmist (left), and her aunt Teresa Cieslik (right), immigrated to the United States from Poland in the late ‘90s and have especially close ties to the crisis.

Their family home in Poland, built generations ago, is now open to refugees. And with crisis intervention centers springing up across the country to provide aid, their family friend is running the clinic in the town where Kasia grew up. In order to lend our support to this crisis and in recognition of our Ukrainian and Polish co-workers, Flagler Health+ staff members have been collecting first aid and other supplies that will be sent to Warsaw, Poland.

“Right now there is a crisis and people need to help each other. I feel very strongly that when someone is in need, you need to help them,” said Deme.