Before your Guests Arrive
Ask for Help
If you need support or advice:
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Connect with any family or friends if you know they’ve hosted before and ask advice
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Join the HIH Facebook Host Group and connect with other hosts
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Register for our online Host Support Sessions and Masterclasses here
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Check if there are any local WhatsApp groups for hosts in your area or consider setting one up
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Sign up to the HIH Host Mailing List - email us or sign up here
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Ask for help but be specific about what you need: whether it’s furniture, bedding, transport, etc.
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Check if there are any Ukrainian community groups in your area; let them know you will be hosting
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Our partner, The Open Community, provides some great Host Supports such as:
Homeshare Agreement
It’s still your home, you’re just sharing with some guests for a while. Remember that they won’t know all the little details about your house, so you’ll need to communicate up front.
It can be useful to write down notes about heating, water, electricity, how to use the washing machine / dishwasher, what day the bins go out and whether you have any preferences (shoes off inside, etc).
We recommend you print out a copy of our HIH Home Sharing Agreement so that you and your guests know where you stand.
This Agreement is not a binding contract but based on our experience we recommend that you use this agreement as a good way to set out your relationship with your guest. It often helps avoid any misunderstandings down the line.
There are guidance agreements available for hosting in self-contained properties too which your Matchmaker will discuss with you.
Driving
Ukrainians in Ireland under the Temporary Protection with full driving licences are allowed to drive in Ireland.
If your guests bring their car from Ukraine, there are certain vehicle importation rules they must follow, depending on how long they stay in Ireland.They can apply for a vehicle temporary exemption when they arrive. This means they do not have to pay vehicle tax. Contact Revenue for more information.
By law you must be insured to drive a Ukrainian car when using it on Irish roads. The Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (UA) has prepared a list of Ukrainian Insurance Providers that allows Ukrainian refugees to renew their insurance policies online and to get an International Insurance Green Card. You can find more information about this at www.mibi.ie
If insuring Ukrainian drivers on an Irish car, Allianz and FBD are offering good rates to Ukrainians.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that all hosts have home insurance in place. If you already have cover, you may need to notify your insurer, have your policy amended or obtain your insurer’s consent in order to host. In our experience, most insurance companies do not increase premiums when hosting in your own home.
Local Support Networks
People want to help you. Not everyone can host, but everyone can do something. The more engaged your support network / community is, the easier it will be for you as a host and your guests too. Having this support will enable them to meet others and begin to create the network they’ll need to help them integrate, find work, etc.
It’s a good idea to consider setting up a WhatsApp group or Broadcast list to update interested people on your guests’ progress and ask for anything that you need. A video message or voicenote can help others to understand your setup and to feel involved in helping your guests.
If you have a motivated network of friends and neighbours who want to help, some suggestions could be for them to:
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Deliver hot meals for the first couple of days (you won’t be able to do it every night)
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Respond to requests as they come up (a pint of milk or an adapter, when you can’t get to the shops)
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Take someone for a walk in the locality, show them the shops
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Find school spaces (see our HIH guidance document linked below)
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Find club spaces (football, gymnastics, dance, etc.)
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Help with finding jobs
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Massage / yoga / restorative things for them to do locally
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Write welcome notes
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Register with Doctor / vet
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Help to set up a bank account (Revolut / An Post)
There are many community support organisations around the country with resources to help hosts and their guests. Try to connect with your local Volunteer Centre or Family Resource Centre.
Translation
This is where technology really helps us. HIH has some Ukrainian colleagues and we will do our best to help with any initial language issues. But there are some tools you can use from your phone or laptop:
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Translate Now - (free trial period, then paid)
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Say Hi - if you speak slowly and clearly it translates speech
Native Ukrainian speakers - check out Ukrainian Action in Ireland