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Date: 7/29/2022
ENFIELD, CT – Since March, Polish pottery importer Janelle Imports and its Manufaktura USA boutique shops have been pledging 10 percent of their online and in-store sales toward humanitarian assistance for displaced Ukrainian families in Poland. In addition, they’ve added a “Donate to Ukraine” option to all of their checkouts and encourage customers to donate any amount that feels right to them.
So far, Janelle Imports/Manufaktura USA donated over $40,000 in this ongoing effort to support Ukrainian refugees. By the end of July, they will reach their goal of over $50,000.
President/founder Elle Los-Englander started Janelle Imports in February of 2003. The business offers a wide range of handcrafted stoneware imported from Boleslawiec, Poland – from teapots and serving bowls, to bakeware and platters.
Six years ago, Janelle Imports joined ventures with Manufaktura, the factory that produces their stoneware in Poland. Together, they have opened four stores in Watch Hill, RI, Mystic, CT, Mashpee Commons in Mashpee, MA and Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT. They have two more stores due to open in 2023: Newport, RI and Westport, CT.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been “extremely tough” for Englander. She was devastated when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began stating, “What happened to the Ukraine hits close to home with me and understanding what the people of Ukraine are struggling for, fighting for and dying for is something the country of Poland has done for centuries.”
Englander was born in Boleslawiec, Poland. Her grandparents were born in the Volhynia region of Ukraine, a region in modern Ukraine that was once part of Poland. Englander told Reminder Publishing that prior to the invasion, Poland was already home to the largest population of Ukrainians outside of their country.
Many of these families were already residing in Boleslawiec and some even worked for Manufaktura.
“Ukraine and Poland are like brother and sister, two neighboring countries with over 1,000 years of interconnected history and ever-changing borders,” Englander replied. “I wanted to help. I watched millions of Ukrainians fleeing to my country of Poland which already has 39 million residents. Citizens were taking these refugees, mostly mothers and children into their homes and needed assistance.”
She continued, “Through the factory in Poland and through the access to leaders in the town of Boleslawiec, I was able to find out early into the invasion that Boleslawiec had close to 3,000 refugees in town and they were struggling to get assistance for them. People are still dying. They’re still suffering, and Ukraine is still being destroyed.”
Englander worked with the town of Boleslawiec to set up a fund to wire donations directly into the account. Those funds will be used to provide emergency assistance to Ukrainian refugees in need of food, accommodations, clothing, medicine and personal hygiene products.
Englander and her team of 13 employees between all stores continue to raise awareness of Ukraine. As of now, she does not have an end date for the donations. Englander said she feels it’s very important to keep this alive and in front of their customers. Whatever they can do to help the country, they should, she said.
“I know through our mission there are so many other countries like the Ukraine that freedom comes at a tremendous price, and you can never take that for granted,” Englander responded. “You have to always know that it’s here today, but it can be lost tomorrow if we don’t protect it collectively. We’re bringing awareness to the American public that perhaps haven’t experienced the things I have experienced, and certainly haven’t experienced what the Ukraine people are experiencing being invaded by a neighbor.”
She went on to say, “Ukraine wouldn’t be able to fight this war against Russia if the U.S was not on the sidelines helping them. Poland would never be free and still be a Communist country if the United States were not fighting against communism during the Cold War. The U.S continues to do tremendous good for the countries and people that want to be free.”
Janelle Imports is located in Enfield at 7 Moody Rd., which is their main warehouse and distribution center. They’re open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. To learn more about the company and contribute, visit their website at janelleimports.com.