Two weeks before the war began, growing concern over troop movements in Belarus prompted action within Stockholm's "burner community," a group experienced in decentralized event coordination. Recognizing that Sweden’s capacity to handle the anticipated refugee influx would be insufficient, members of the community quickly formed a civic action group lead by Rasmus . Within two weeks of the war’s onset, the group organized a successful fundraiser at Blivande, featuring an art auction, Ukrainian cuisine, and cultural performances. The event raised 98,000 SEK for UNICEF, with different members taking responsibility for various tasks, demonstrating the community's solidarity and resourcefulness.

While the fundraiser was underway, other projects were also taking shape on Slack. Rasmus was connecting volunteers with project ideas and helping those who wanted to step up and take responsibility for finding psychological support systems, potential work opportunities, housing support, and translation aid to prepare for the coming wave of Ukrainian newcomers. Through this project matchmaking, Rasmus connected with Carebridge, a "burner community" organization that had received donations after being featured on CNN in the US.

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Working under the Carebridge banner, Rasmus helped organize buses from Poland to Sweden, transporting primarily Ukrainian women and children who arrived safely at Blivande. Here, they were connected with Swedish host families who would provide them with accommodation for one to two months until the government could offer permanent housing solutions. Security was a primary concern, as Carebridge wanted to protect Ukrainian citizens from human trafficking networks. As a result, Blivande became a space of arrival, first meet-ups, and verification of identities and documents.

The "Help Ukraine Gothenburg" project, which featured an activity center called "Living Room for Humanity," served as inspiration for creating a similar initiative at Blivande. The core Blivande team, though at full operational capacity, supported Rasmus’ efforts to help refugees from Ukraine. With initial funding from Carebridge, the center was established to provide aid, information, and a welcoming space. Early challenges arose due to language barriers, as many Ukrainian newcomers did not speak English, and volunteers had to rely on basic translation tools. Collaboration with the Nordic Ukraine Forum helped the center compile essential resources in Ukrainian, improving access to information. The center also distributed clothes, hygiene kits, and toys. After a few weeks, English-speaking Ukrainian refugees joined the support team, facilitating better communication and assistance.

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Shortly after its establishment, the Center for Displaced Ukrainians began to see multiple activities taking shape. To facilitate community involvement and support, Rasmus created a platform similar in structure to Blivande's ancestral organization "Noden." The platform allowed individuals to create and operate their own initiatives, eventually becoming autonomous from the core organization. This participatory approach resembled that of events and festivals, but focused specifically on civic action. To facilitate donations, the center used Open Collective, a fiscal host, which allowed for a streamlined process and avoided legal hurdles associated with setting up an organization and bank account in the early stages. These donations and subsequent fundraisers helped Blivande reserve event spaces for the activities of the Center for Displaced Ukrainians.

The Nordic Ukraine Forum helped organize information sessions with Russian-speaking lawyers to assist Ukrainian refugees with the migration process in Sweden. This initiative led to the creation of various activities, including a theater group, art therapy, yoga, children's storybook sessions, and cooking workshops, where traditional Ukrainian dishes were sold to raise funds for aid. As more organizations joined, Swedish courses with childcare and other activities like coding for teens and emotional support sessions were added, making the Center for Displaced Ukrainians a hub of daily activity.

Many activities were led by Ukrainian refugees eager to help their fellow citizens. However, when participants were relocated to rural areas due to limited housing in Stockholm, many workshops had to be discontinued. The second relocation was challenging for many, as Stockholm's refugee housing reached capacity, and more affordable housing with better job opportunities was available in northern Sweden. This relocation was especially hard for those accustomed to city life and who had just begun rebuilding their lives.

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The project's main challenge was securing funding. Despite strong volunteer support, balancing operational work with writing grant applications was difficult, and without prior experience or a track record, securing sponsors was unsuccessful. Efforts to obtain European funding failed, forcing the project to scale down. However, some self-sustaining activities, like a children's cultural group, continued (Kulturhuset Favorit).

In hindsight, the team questions if they targeted the right funding sources. Now, they are collaborating with an NGO and focusing on creating financially sustainable crisis response models. Despite the emotional toll, they remain committed and would do it again, driven by a deep understanding of others' needs.

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