Help a Ukrainian Family in Their Time of Need

This fundraiser is to provide aid to my family, who have struggled to support themselves since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of our native Ukraine. My father, Valerij, mother, Larysa, brother, Yurij, sister-in-law, Irina, and nephews, Ivan and Nikolay, ages six and three, all call Kyiv home, as did I before moving to the United States in 2015.

For many years, my father, Valerij, has owned and operated a small hardware store, Budujmo Razom (“Building Together.”) In January of 2017, a fire destroyed the store, and my father rebuilt it with his own hands.

In June of 2021, due to the closure of its host marketplace, he was forced to close the second iteration of Budujmo Razom and relocate to a new property at great cost to himself. Since Russia’s invasion, my father has largely stopped operating Budujmo Razom for profit, instead donating vital and scarce supplies to volunteers and others in need.

My brother, Yurij, has struggled to find employment in his field of architecture since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this difficulty, he and Irina have always provided for young Ivan and Nikolay.

In January of 2022, less than two months before Russia’s invasion, a fire broke out in my childhood home, where Yurij, Irina, Ivan, Nikolay, their dog, Aria, and their cat, Shnurok, were living.

This damage has still not been repaired, and the cost to do so will be significant when the time comes.

In the second week of the invasion, Irina fled to the relative safety of Poland with Ivan and Nikolay, where Irina has since struggled to support the children with an increased cost of living and limited financial support. Irina has, remarkably, been able to continue her work as an accountant in a foreign country, where she does not speak the language. Nonetheless, with Yurij entirely out of work due to the war, Irina, Ivan, and Nikolay now have barely enough to get by.

One month into Russia’s invasion of my country, my mother, father, and brother all remain in Kyiv, doing their best to preserve their livelihood and help their countrymen. Many of Kyiv’s elderly and infirm residents have lost children and grandchildren to the war due to displacement, military duty, or death. My parents and brother do all they can to help these neighbors, assisting with the delivery of vital medications and food. They also help care for the countless pets that had to be left behind, feeding and sheltering cats and dogs in their neighborhood.

Any and all funds donated to this fundraiser will be transferred to the personal bank accounts of my mother, Larysa, and my sister-in-law, Irina. My husband, Chris, and I will transfer all available funds on the second and fourth Friday of every month via Wise (formerly known as TransferWise). Additional transfers to Larysa’s and Irina’s accounts may be arranged as their circumstances require.

I thank you for taking the time to read my family’s story and for any support you are able to give. Slava Ukraini; Heroiam slava.