Recreation Room

Community center and an integrative program for refugee children and youth.

Since 2011 we’ve been carrying educational-integrative program for refugee families, especially women and children. We ran the Recreation Room and integrative program for 10 years at Targówek center in Warsaw, and then moved to new centers Dębak and Linin after closing previous premises. We’ve supported hundreds of people from various countries, especially Ukraine, Caucasus, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and many African countries.

When I first got to the refugee center, I didn’t even want to leave my room. After some time, you came to us… I could go on writing many beautiful memories but in short, I truly believe I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without the opportunity you gave me. It has truly changed my life.”

Chabuka

Refugee families often have to face the trauma of migration and even war. They live in a post military base in a deep woods, half an hour from the nearest train station. Children go to schools without knowing the spoken language. Some of them struggle to adapt, learn, and manage their emotions. They have to wait a few weeks, or even months, for an administrative decision. Even then, they are often refused the protection and are forced to leave Poland. They’re uncertain about even the nearest future which can be changed by the results of the decision. Without real home.

Safe Space

In the Recreation Room, they learn Polish, do school homework, play and grow in a safe environment. All year long, nearly every day, we teach them various skills, organize activities outside the Recreation Room such as going to a swimming pool or an art gallery. We work both in groups and individually. We support children’s parents in day-to-day chores, organize medical and law appointments, job interviews, help them find preschools. We help them with organizing their free time so that they can smile at least once a day.

We would like to thank you for your warm and kind hearts, and for always being there for us. You were like an oasis in the desert.

Nadia, Olesia i Lila

Support us

Maintaining the recreation room costs about 15 thousand zlotys a month. With these resources we fund books, board games, educational materials, trips (tickets + transport), specialized workshops, professional trainings, and various integrative activities. We also need to pay the salary for our team which works with children several dozen hours a week. We get the support from public grants but we still need to cover nearly half the amount by ourselves. Therefore, we need the support from private persons and companies who believe in our mission helping the refugees. We can’t leave children by their own so we will thrive no matter the circumstances but we will most certainly appreciate your help.

Donate with PayPal or credit card

Remember!

Every person can deduct donation from the income and pay lower tax (a private person can deduct the amount up to 6% from the yearly income, a legal person – up to 10%.)

Be our volunteer

Organize activities for children with us! We’re looking for people with certain abilities and who want to share them. It can be dance, martial art, origami, drama, and playing bard games. If you want to help with doing homework, come on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 4 and 6 PM. We will help you with substantive preparation and all needed support but you need to be an independent person who likes children. Preferably, it’s ideal if you already have experience of working with kids. You can come to us by yourself or invite your friends. You can work at Recreation Room or invite us to a different place of your choosing. For the psychological, formal, and organizational reasons, we invite only people who are ready for a long-term, steady commitment: at least once a week for at least three months.


Donors

The program is financed by the Drzewo i Jutro Foundation, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and private donations.

This website represents views of Foundation for Freedom only and cannot be identified with the stance of IRC.