Utah man returns home after helping refugees flee to Poland
Apr 13, 2022, 2:33 PM | Updated: Jun 11, 2022, 10:23 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man we told you about a couple weeks ago who traveled to Ukraine to help refugees cross the border is back home.
He shared what it was like to be among those facing an uncertain future.
When Kevin Kunz boarded a flight to Warsaw, Poland, he was nervous.
“I didn’t know anybody over there and I was planning on winging it,” he said.
Once on the ground, he said miracles unfolded. He connected with volunteers at a refugee center.
One of the contacts he made sold him a van that allowed him to organize a convoy to drop off much-needed supplies.
“I was able to give more than 100 people cash,” Kunz said.
Kunz also picked up people.
The daily 20-hour trip to the Kyiv area was eye-opening.
“There was a great deal of sadness. I can’t even describe the sadness in their faces and voices.”
One couple asked Kevin to drive their 14-year-old son across the border while they stayed behind.
His parents were devastated. They were just sobbing, so sad to have their son leave, but they did that to protect him.
Kunz’s mission was dangerous, but worthwhile.
“Even though there was incoming rockets and devastation going, on I felt safe,” he said.
He also felt grateful for friends who donated $25,000 to a cause that taught him valuable lessons.
“The problems that we face as Americans, everyday citizens, pale in comparison to what they face,” Kunz said. “It gave me a greater appreciation for truly of how blessed we are.”
Kunz is now trying to raise money to buy body armor for the men fighting on the front lines. These civilians are not trained soldiers and desperately need this gear to defend their country.
