Will you open your door and host Ukrainian refugees- mothers, grand-mothers and their children?

Great post Dickens. let’s hope Kali2 actually reads it

The OP has engendered a host of responses from grans explaining why they cannot 'open their doors' to Ukrainian grand-mothers, mothers and children. I suspect most of these grans are quietly doing what they can, donating financially and physically with household and personal items.

It's naïve to imply that it's just a simple matter of providing a bed or a room. If you host a refugee in your home you will have to share a responsibility for their physical and mental wellbeing and devote quite a lot of your time and energy to looking after them.

How many are in a position to do that - or even have the necessary expertise? You might have a spare room - you also might be out most days, working, caring for others, child-minding, etc. Unless you are fit and well, with nothing on your daily agenda - and have a penchant for caring for people in distress (or even the ability) and are prepared to re-arrange your life, then 'opening your door' is not really an option for most.

That's why we have agencies to help sort out all the numerous problems that refugees face when fleeing war zones, and that's why we donate money, items and volunteer our time, so that these charities / agencies can co-ordinate the response.

Any individual who wants to provide a space and a home, and the caring and nurturing background required for such a gesture will already have done something about it and doesn't need prompting. The rest of us will do what we can, quietly, to help. And the 'hand-wringing' is the recognition of the awfulness of the situation for the Ukrainians and for the wider aspects of the threat to peace in Europe, and the world.

No-one need explain why they can't offer a bed or a room, ultimately these grand-mothers, mothers and children need a home / space of their own, albeit temporary, with all the relevant agencies providing the care for their physical, and most certainly their mental well-being. And as some rely on charity - that's where we can provide the support.

Grans do care, and they are doing what they can, quietly, without announcing it.

Completely agree re George Michael. He gave to charity very quietly and didn’t want or need a pat on the back. Exactly how it should be. We all should feel compassion and do whatever we can without demanding to know what others are doing.

Good post TerriBull.

TerriBull

Urmstongran

Embarrassing wasn’t it TerriBull?
Some people in the past said ‘anyone but Trump’. Well, well.
Biden’s fan base is on the floor.

He became president on a "I'm not Trump ticket" 350 million people or thereabouts and they get those two as the final candidates

Unfortunately we in the U.K. will probably be in a similar situation when our next GE comes along…

MerylStreep yes I saw that.

Urmstongran

Embarrassing wasn’t it TerriBull?
Some people in the past said ‘anyone but Trump’. Well, well.
Biden’s fan base is on the floor.

He became president on a "I'm not Trump ticket" 350 million people or thereabouts and they get those two as the final candidates

Excellent post terribull

Dianne Abbot has got her Ukraine and Croatia confused

twitter.com/statsjamie/status/1498679514859196422

Turning back to the OP, I did think reading it, "Peak Virtue Signalling" there was almost a subliminal aggressive one up man ship about it, but I thought maybe that's just me. Seems not. The very reason I liked the late George Michael, did any of us know about his quiet philanthropy "no" because he wasn't looking for a pat on the back. It's clear how much people here care about the plight of the Ukrainian people and are doing what they can in aid and support, but what we do is our own business.

A Ukrainan singer was giving an impassioned interview on the BBC just now.

She dropped the F word.

Well, that pale chap who presents quite loudly spoke over her basically telling her not to swear.

Surely we can cope with hearing the odd profanity whilst watching these heartbreaking events take place.

Embarrassing wasn’t it TerriBull?
Some people in the past said ‘anyone but Trump’. Well, well.
Biden’s fan base is on the floor.

Meanwhile our geographical knowledge challenged leader of the western world was heard to say this in his State of the Union address, "he will never win the hearts and minds of the Iranian people" Kamala Harris standing behind silently mouthing "Ukrainian"

Karmalady
I don’t know if anything’s changed from 3 days ago.

www.swissinfo.ch/eng/ukraine---a-shock-for-the-world--a-disgrace-for-switzerland-/47385818?utm_campaign=teaser-in-channel&utm_medium=display&utm_source=swissinfoch&utm_content=o

Two women, running a riding school in sw are driving a horse lorry to poland soon, filled with donations. That is extremely kind and very courageous.

I read somewhere that primary age children, carrying placards, have been arrested in russia, I saw a photo of them in the back of a police van with bars

I also read that pakistan is collaborating with russia, to bi-pass sanctions and will be buying russian gas. They get a massive amount of taxpayer funded foreign aid from the uk

Is switzerland doing anything to help ukraine?

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

But I was wondering, with all the wringing of hands on GN

Your hands must be well and truly wrung out by now, Kali

Some of us haven't forgotten other wars and crises either. Most people just quietly help.
I remember when you said you were a Syrian woman, (a misunderstanding of course, it was your phraseology) but Russian troops are still in Syria having unleashed bombs on civilians there for years.

Kali2

No, not at all. It is very possible to do both- and join groups offering all kinds of practical help.

And to sign this Petition too

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/609530

Why are you haranguing people here on GN? You have no idea what any of us have done regarding Ukraine and it’s not your place to tell anyone else what to do. You mind your own business and I’ll mind mine.

MerylStreep

Callistemon
If the Swiss do decide to take some of these poor souls I hope this practice has ended.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35323315

www.reuters.com/article/us-swiss-refugees-idUSKBN1DF28D

It seems that the practice was still in force at the end of 2017. I do hope it has now been abandoned. Can you confirm either way Kali2?

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

No, not at all. It is very possible to do both- and join groups offering all kinds of practical help.

And to sign this Petition too

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/609530

But I was wondering, with all the wringing of hands on GN re Ukraine, if people would actually be prepared to DO something for real, in real life, apart from donating to Unicef or the Red Cross

Is there something wrong with donating to UNICEF, the Red Cross or other charities which may be able to help?

SueDonim

^No virtue signalling from me as I have not told anyone what I am or not, doing or prepared to do.^ But I was wondering, with all the wringing of hands on GN re Ukraine, if people would actually be prepared to DO something for real, in real life, apart from donating to Unicef or the Red Cross

This is hilarious! Or it would be if it wasn’t so self-regarding. How baffling that someone starts a thread to boast of their largesse and then claims they’re not virtue signaling because they’re not telling anyone of their generosity.

Fwiw people in my local area and I’d say almost all my friends on SM are doing something to help Ukraine, be it practical help or financial.

I quite agree SueDonim the same goes for me and my family and friends helping and doing what they can.

Another ridiculous post from Kali2.

No virtue signalling from me as I have not told anyone what I am or not, doing or prepared to do. But I was wondering, with all the wringing of hands on GN re Ukraine, if people would actually be prepared to DO something for real, in real life, apart from donating to Unicef or the Red Cross

This is hilarious! Or it would be if it wasn’t so self-regarding. How baffling that someone starts a thread to boast of their largesse and then claims they’re not virtue signaling because they’re not telling anyone of their generosity.

Fwiw people in my local area and I’d say almost all my friends on SM are doing something to help Ukraine, be it practical help or financial.

Kali2
no virtue signalling from me etc etc
You said that your big old house in the sticks could be a welcoming place etc etc.

No. I have given goods to the bedding collection though.