The Foreign Service Journal, September 2022

50 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL But this was just one facet of a huge, all-of-government international response. For example, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service office in Warsaw had begun assisting Ukrainian refugees almost immediately after the invasion started. They received large volumes of inquiries from U.S. companies and nongovern- mental organizations (NGOs) looking to provide support, and they got to work connecting donors with needy recipients. Because of their unique rela- tionship with the private sector, FCS could easily route offers of assistance, help donors navigate Polish customs clearance, iden- tify freight forwarders that could manage cross-border ship- ments, and work with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help ease bureaucratic bottle- necks. FCS started tracking acts of corporate social responsibil- ity and worked closely with the embassy’s public affairs section to amplify the support U.S. companies provided to Ukraine relief efforts through the embassy’s social media channels. Shortly after arriving, I joined my colleagues at Mission Poland’s American Citizens Welcome Center in the southeastern border town of Przemysl. The center was open 24/7 for more than six weeks, and more than 1,900 Americans received assistance from consular staff by phone or face-to-face. Working side by side with the Warsaw and Krakow Ameri- can Citizens Services teams, we were able to assist families with emergency passports, transportation and lodging, and general information. Lilia Lally (right) volunteering at the World Central Kitchen in Przemysl, Poland, with Holly Connor (left), a volunteer from EngenderHealth, an NGO in Washington, D.C. COURTESYOFLILIALALLY The author in front of U.S. Embassy Warsaw in March. COURTESYOFLILIALALLY