A Charlotte Man, Who Fled Ukraine’s Embattled Capital Into Poland, Is Aiding Other Refugees

CHARLOTTE, NC. —  Matt Thacker and his wife have been volunteering at refugee points in Poland to help with the overwhelming need. The Charlotte native and UNC Charlotte graduate is now at an Air B&B in Poland.  They left Kyiv nearly 2 weeks ago, taking with them only what they could fit in a suitcase.

“The initial sort of emotion is not really relief, it’s still just like confusion. That’s why the Polish people have been so incredible, they understand the sort of tense situation that these people are in otherwise competent people are kind of like children. They don’t know where to go, they don’t know what to do,” says Thacker.

Thacker says they got to Poland through the Israeli Consulate and were able to bypass most of the wait.

“My wife speaks Russian and Ukrainian so they need sort of interpreters to come in and sort of figure out what people need, where they’re trying to go, and if they need any specific assistance. We’ve gone down and sort of helped in that way.”

He described the chaos at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Tens of thousands fleeing to safety.

“A lot of people that are shell shocked. There’s a lot of disorganization as well. There’s reports of kids that just have like their parent’s phone numbers written on her hand and their passports sort of sound into their jacket and sent across the border.”