Dear friends,

My family is still in Ukraine, and we are raising funds to get them the supplies they need to exist in such an unpredictable and dangerous environment. The costs are so high and getting worse. Most urgently, we need to bring my sister Svitlana and her 5-month-old baby daughter Sophia to our home in the US.

 

As I am sure you are aware, on February 24th Russia started a massive invasion of Ukraine. 150-190 thousand heavy-armed Russian soldiers crossed the border of Ukraine in multiple locations. Their goal was to capture the capital of Ukraine - the beautiful city of Kyiv - within 72 hours. Heroic Ukrainian soldiers and citizens continue to risk their lives and stand together in a united movement protecting their land and their way of life.    
One of the soldiers is my brother-in-law, Maxim, who left his home and baby girl, Sophia, to fulfill his duties. My sister, her 5-month-old baby, and my Mom originally stayed in their home in Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv, but when Russians started to shell their beautiful hometown, we were able to convince Svitlana to flee to the West. The journey was long and extremely dangerous, taking more than 22 hours. Thankfully, a blessed family friend graciously took them into his home upon their arrival. At first, we were relieved, but we soon came to realize that there is no place in Ukraine that Russian missiles or bombs cannot reach!  Since the beginning of this war, the Russians have specifically targeted innocent civilians in what can only be called an act of genocide. We are living in complete fear for our loved ones (our parents, grandma, siblings, nieces, nephews, and all people of Ukraine).

We are hoping to be able to raise enough money for Svitlana and Sophia's flight tickets, basic living, and legal expenses, and for our parents’ basic needs. It is hard to predict precisely how much we will need.

 

We vow to donate all excess funds straight to the churches, people, and communities in Ukraine, particularly in my hometown, Pervomaisk as well as my husband's hometown of Mykolaiv and Kyiv (where we lived for 10 years before coming to the U.S).
We are so grateful for any help, moral support, or contribution you might consider.
May Peace and prosperity be restored promptly in Ukraine and everywhere in the World!

P.S. Update 5/31/2022: I would like to share some updates on our family. My sister Svitlana and her baby Sophia are safe in Spain now, living with a generous work colleague from Stan, who we never even met. It is not easy for them to be there, but we are working to bring them to our home in the US. Our parents and grandma are still in Ukraine, we cannot convince them to leave yet. The russians are bombing Mykolaiv (with forbidden cassette bombs), our hometown. Since fighting along the southern front severed a pipeline in April, cutting tap water to many areas, residents have spent weeks walking around the city to find water trucks. They have access to food, but the prices are going up. Sveta's husband is in the Army. It is getting more intense, and they have some casualties and wounded.  We really appreciate your prayers and support! we all hope this madness will be over soon! May you all stay safe and well!