Hi, my name is Julie D'Angelo. I am fundraising to help my cousins, Tetiana and Mariana, and their collective six kids - Davyd (8 years old), Marko (6 years old), Danylo (6 years old), Luka (5 years old), Anna (4 years old), and Maksym (1 year old).

 

With the current events in Ukraine, it breaks my heart that it is having such a direct and catastrophic impact on my family. My cousins and their small children fled the war in Ukraine to Poland to protect their lives. They never planned to leave Ukraine; it is their home. But they were scared for their children’s lives and could not risk staying where they were. At that point, they made the hardest decision they’ve ever faced, to leave everything they had—and have known—behind, not knowing what was ahead. They quickly packed up their children into one car, with the clothes on their back and little else, and headed toward the Hungarian border. They crossed the Hungarian border on Sunday, February 26, searching for shelter and food. After resting one night, they began the long journey toward Poland, arriving Tuesday, March 1.

 

Mariana was granted a visitor visa to the US, but Tetiana is still waiting on an answer from the UK on whether they can seek shelter there (after her family was rejected a visa to the US). Mariana and her 2 boys are staying with us in the US, in a stable, safe, welcoming environment while the situation in Ukraine stabilizes enough for them to return home.

 

Any donation you are able to make will go directly to them to help pay for travel, food, basic essentials (clothes, shoes, hygiene items), and educational activities to keep the kids entertained (puzzles, legos, art supplies, activity workbooks, etc.).

 

Thank you all so much for your support!