war in ukraine, a chance to just be a kid. she says here she s grateful. reporter: poland has welcomed nearly 3 million people since the war started, yet not everyone is greeted with open arms. it s clear that we are more open for, you know, those slavic people. ethnic folks. reporter: while ukrainians arriving in poland can stay for 18 months, work legally, and have access to health care and social services, non-ukrainians can t. these three women knew they could help. they have only two weeks to think about their next steps. it s i can t imagine, actually, how to do it when you re a war refugee. reporter: overnight they started a shelter for non-ukrainian refugees run by a catholic ngo in poland. with space for 70 guests, they re turning people away daily.
non-ukrainian refugees run by a catholic ngo in poland. with space for 70 guests, they re turning people away daily. and from the beginning, it s full. reporter: joe ellen daniel, students from nigeria, were studying management in kyiv when the war broke out and were reluctant to leave. i would love to go back to ukraine. it s a great country. you told me when you were looking to leave that it was harder for you because of the way you look, because of the color of your skin. yeah, to be honest, yes, it is a challenge. reporter: they finally left two weeks ago and are now trying to figure out what is next. we re also trying to support the workers, organizing the next steps. sometimes it s a trip to other countries, but also we try to find flats or apartments, places to stay. reporter: volunteers, at least a dozen a day, keep the shelter running and help connect