Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine
Images and stories about the war in Ukraine and the devastation the people have experienced have been in our local news since the invasion began. Christine Weeks had an opportunity to talk with Steve Glenn, Chairman of Executive Travel in Lincoln, about his ongoing efforts with Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine.
Christine: Steve, why did you decide to help?
Steve: Like many people, I was aghast that Russia would invade Ukraine. I had to do something. I’m kind of a disrupter and don’t like to use the regular channels. I wanted to see where the help was needed the most without working through levels of corporate decision-making.
Christine: How did you get started?
Steve: I’m in the travel business, so finding available hotels was the first step. My main focus was to provide safety for the women and children refugees. We decided to rent hotel rooms in Warsaw to provide these families with a safe harbor, and that’s how we came up with the name Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine. In two days, we rented 50 rooms, developed a website and launched it, and sent two employees there to figure out how we could fill the hotel and make people feel safe. We hoped that in 30 days the war would be over, but that didn’t happen; as of August 2022, we are in our fifth month at the hotel.
We also sent about 70 volunteers over to help get the refugees settled, learn what was going on there, and come back and share that information with their families and communities. Their stories continue to help raise funds to support our efforts.
Christine: What are you able to provide families in your care?
Steve: We provide families with a private room and three meals a day. We had to pull some strings with the hotel to get the rooms because the whole city was sold out. The Polish people have been very welcoming, putting refugees in their homes, and the government has given them a small, monthly stipend. The hotel has that same willingness to help people through this process.
Christine: How long do families stay?
Steve: Originally, families stayed about six weeks, but now they only stay three weeks. We help prepare them for their next stage of life.
Getting them settled down from the trauma they have experienced is important. We had one lady come to us with her three children, and her husband had just been killed two days earlier. She couldn’t think or even function. About one-third of the people came to us ill from walking 14 days in the snow, and we had COVID go through the hotel. We weren’t initially prepared for medical care, but were able to get doctors and nurses from the U.S. to come over to provide healthcare services.
We also help families register for temporary citizenship, get visas to go to other countries, and offer English and Polish language lessons.
Christine: What are the financial responsibilities for Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine?
Steve: Each month, it costs about $75,000 for hotel rooms and $40,000 for meals. We’ve been blessed by so many donations and hundreds of people have volunteered their time. Locally, we’ve had businesses and families provide support to Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine. They know exactly how their donation is being used, and I think that is what has made a difference. We’ve already helped 600 Ukranians. We’re also assisting a Norfolk, NE organization sponsor families to come live there.
Christine: How can readers get involved?
Steve: We’re there to provide hope for the refugees because when they come to us they have no hope. They’ve been bombed out of their homes, some of their family members have been killed, and they no longer have a job. They come with tears of gratitude and don’t understand why people in Nebraska would care about them. Life is about showing up, and that’s what Nebraskans do.
“Because of your organization, I was able to get a job, find an apartment, and now I am selfsustaining in Warsaw.”
– A UKRAINIAN REFUGEE
To learn more about how you can help, go to our website – operationsafeharborukraine.com.