My brother Vlad (25 years old) had to leave our hometown in Crimea after explosions at the military airbase on August 9th, 2022 and continued drone and rocket attacks and explosions that are still happening in Crimea. This affected our family’s home located close to the airbase. We were terrified and bought Vlad a ticket to Israel for the closest date available that was still a few weeks out. In September our parents drove Vlad 16 hours to the nearest airport where he got on a flight to Israel to be more safe.

Vlad has already applied for both a visa to Canada and a work permit for Israel. Unfortunately, both countries are receiving so many Ukrainian refugees that document processing times have slowed down tremendously. We are left without knowing how many months this will take. That is why we decided to ask for help paying for Vlad’s rent (until his work permit is approved and he can start working). In addition to that, we need to cover flight expenses. The 3-hour flight to Israel alone cost over $1,000.

It is our dream for all of us to be safe and to finally live close to each other. Last time I got to see my brother was almost 3 years ago. I miss Vlad dearly, and my biggest wish is for him to live in a country where he no longer has to fear war. I admire his courage, he never had to face such a difficult challenge in his life. We usually would not ask for help, but in this case we feel we are left without a choice. Truly anything helps and we are grateful for all your help and support.

This video Vlad took standing in our parents' backyard: