The Ukrainian war is much more than turning on the evening news every night and watching a horrific war so far away. My father Boris was born in Dnipro, Ukraine, and I have relatives there now that have become refugees fleeing for their children’s and their safety. I was fortunate to meet them. First is my cousin Raisa who came over here over 20 years ago and spent several months with our family. It was a joy to hear all the stories about my grandfather and her father. They were brothers.
My grandfather also grew up there and had five brothers. He was separated because of communism and never saw any of his birth family again. Then about eight years ago, her daughter Olga and husband Igor were in New York, and we were lucky enough to spend a few days with them. We have been Face-Timing them ever since and planned to visit them before this war started.

My sister Tatiana and I have talked to them almost every day since they fled to Poland.  

Raisa left Ukraine with her daughter Olga, grandson Mark, and granddaughter Yassa. Yassa has a 7-year-old son Max. Olga’s husband Igor took them all to the border and had to stay because he’s a man in his 40s and was not allowed to leave with his family if they needed to fight. He is in Dnipro trying to help other women and children leave Ukraine. Transporting them to and from the Polish border with his car. In addition, he is back at his farm trying to prepare the crops for Spring. The rest of them went to Poland first but soon found it was overcrowded, and they were trying to split up families. Next, they had a relative in Norway, where they now live in a refugee camp.

 

The conditions were terrible. It was cold and crowded. They are trying to find a better place to settle temporarily for their children. The two boys need to go to school. Resulting in them needing school supplies. The older one is practicing being a professional hockey player and has found a trainer in Norway. They want to stay in Norway to keep the family together as they have hope to return to Ukraine when the war is over. So they left with very little.

This money will help them with:

I am starting this Go Fund Me page for them, and whatever I collect will go directly to them, they will use what they need and try to help the other refugees there. 

 

I appreciate your Support, Thank You,

Irene Maltzan