Help the Nazarov's start a new life in America

In May of this year, after three months of hiding behind couches, under tables, and living in bomb shelters, Genya, Viktoriiia, Mariia, and Natalia made the incredibly difficult decision to leave behind the modest home they had built by hand, their newly started family business, and virtually all of their belongings in their lifelong home in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. With Russian artillery strikes coming within 500 meters of their home, the risk to their safety became simply too great, and they were forced to leave. With the money they saved and the kindness of strangers, they could make their way to a small village in Co Longford, Ireland.

There they lived in a converted horse stable with other 300 refugees until finding a room in an apartment above a pub with five other families. Genya has found work in a local restaurant and was able to earn money for the basic necessities they, their daughter Mariia, Viktoria and Viktoriia's mother Natalia needed, as well as saving for airfare to come to the US, which has virtually depleted their savings.

While they will be living with us in our home in Northern Michigan and will seek work once their permits have been approved (which could take up to 7 months), they will need to re-establish a life here. This will include obtaining a car, clothes for the fall/winter as they left Nikolaev with only spring clothes, as well as necessities for work, school, and daily needs.

Many of you have offered to donate clothing and other items they will need, but our goal is to support our new family and allow them the independence to build their new life here in a way that is comfortable and familiar while feeling supported and cared for. For those not comfortable with a cash donation and may wish to provide gift cards to stores like Amazon, Target, Marshalls, Wal-Mart where the Nazarovs can purchase items they need, please just reach out to my wife Olga Lampcov or me Marc Lampcov directly.

To ensure that funds are being used to support the family in meeting their needs, it is our plan to work directly with the Nazarovs and disperse as needed as a weekly stipend, coordinating payments with sellers of larger items such as a car, a chromebook for school, etc. This will help ensure that all funds raised will go to necessities and it will support them for as long as possible.

Thank you so much for your support, and we hope that those who are local will be able to join us at our home in Lake, Michigan, to welcome the Nazarovs personally at the "Welcome to America" party we'll be hosting in early August.