Help a Ukrainian family escape shelling

My fellow human, I’m Mila—as a member of an immigrant family from the former USSR, a lot of the same fleeing images that we saw 30+ years ago are now appearing on the news as if not much has changed since that dreaded wall came down.

I am raising funds to help some family/friends back in Ukraine.

Elena, Vadim, their elderly parents, and their daughter Elina are proud Ukrainians from the capital city. Elena and her husband work and take care of their elderly parents. Life was as normal as borscht for them before Feb. 24. Early in the invasion, Elena made the hard choice to flee the once bustling Kyiv metro area, her husband, and her work, to western Ukraine, thinking it’d be safer. Now, seeing the situation unfold with no end in sight, no place in Ukraine feels safe. Elina is an excellent student and aspiring artist. The image above is her visual interpretation of her life since the invasion.

They have no family in Europe but happen to have some in the great city of Houston.

My family and community are opening our doors to anyone suffering from this conflict, blood or no blood. We are hoping to raise funds for travel, food, lodging, and visa expenses to get Elena and Elina safely to Houston until it is safe for them to return home. Grateful for any help!