Please Help My Ukrainian Family Get to Safety

My great-aunt Lubov (74), her daughter Olena (44), Olena’s husband Oleg (52), and their two children, Alena (20) and Oleg Jr. (12) have called Ukraine their home for the last 30 years. With the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, the lives of my loved ones were forever changed, and their once stable home has been ripped away from them.

The last few months have put my family in a state of survival. Food has become exceedingly scarce, sleep is all but impossible, and they have no source of income due to the ongoing war. Farming potatoes and vegetables in their backyard have kept my family alive for now, but they know that this won’t last forever. Their only choice now is to escape.

After tirelessly searching for ways to leave Ukraine, my family has finally found an organization to help them tip-toe their way past Russian forces in the dead of night to journey into Poland or Germany to reach safety. Unfortunately, Oleg Sr. must stay behind as required by the Ukrainian military, and Alena refuses to leave his side, so only Lubov, Olena, and Oleg Jr. will be making this perilous trek.

It has been incredibly frustrating for my family in the United States to not be able to help at all so far, with no way to send them funds or anything other than words of support in the fleeting moments that my family in Ukraine has had an internet connection. However, when Lubov, Olena and Oleg Jr. arrive in Poland or Germany, we will finally be able to provide them with tangible support. My mother and aunt, Olga and Elena, will travel to meet with my family to help them obtain food, lodging, and eventually documentation to be able to travel to the United States. We are working with an immigration lawyer to ensure that they may legally cross the border into the US and stay here. My Ukrainian family will be able to begin life anew - with our help and, we hope, with yours.

My name is Sharon Edgar, and I am humbly asking you to donate anything you can, even just $1, to help support my Ukrainian family in their long journey from Ukraine to the United States. My American family does not have the means to support them alone, as we are first-generation immigrants as well. Between food, lodging, transportation, and other costs associated with immigrating, my Ukrainian family can use all the help they can get to escape the ruins of their old home and create a new home here in America.

If you have ever wondered how you can genuinely support the people of Ukraine, now is your chance. Please know that every penny we receive will go to helping our Ukrainian family. If you would like to receive any updates, please feel free to email me at [email redacted]. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for taking the time to read this and for helping in any way possible.