Veronica's Second Chance

This is Veronica. She is 14 months old, and just two months after she was born, Russia invaded her home (Ukraine), forcing her mother, Alina, to flee their country. She has never met her father, a Ukrainian soldier, who has been fighting for his country's independence ever since. In the year after leaving Ukraine, Veronica and Alina lived in the Netherlands and Germany, always intending to end their journey in the United States, where they hoped to start a new life of opportunity. In January 2023, they landed in Washington, DC with nothing more than what they could fit into 4 suitcases and hope for Veronica's second chance at a happy start.

Our fund's goal is to cover Alina and Veronica's living and household expenses for the next 12 months so they can build a solid foundation from which to seek a more permanent immigration visa here in the US.

Relocating to a new town is never easy; raising a child is one of the most challenging things a person can do; and yet, Veronica's mother must do both of these without the help or support of her family, which has remained in Ukraine. She is now a single mother, in a foreign land, and lacks many work opportunities, but remains steadfastly devoted to her daughter, willing to do whatever it takes to make sure Veronica does not need to grow up under the looming threat of violence and war. Veronica's mother just needs a little help so she can save every precious cent she earns for the legal and immigration fees we hope will help her stay in the US for years to come.

However you choose to help, please share Veronica's story so we can extend our reach as widely as possible. Giving Veronica a second chance is going to take a village, and you can help us find the people to build one.

Background Information (if you're interested in the details).

Alina and Veronica are Ukrainian citizens who were forced to flee their country after Russian forces invaded their country on 24 February 2022. On that fateful day, Alina packed everything she could into four suitcases (which remain the extent of their worldly possessions) and vacated her home, seeking shelter with her mother in a small village near the Moldovan border. Shortly after, she made an overland movement from Moldova to the Netherlands, where she and Veronica remained in the care of a host family for a season before relocating to Germany for 9 months. Thanks to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services program, Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), they came to the US in hopes of rebuilding their lives under the blanket of security that most of us as American citizens take for granted. They arrived in Washington, DC on 8 January 2023, marking a temporary end to their 10-month flight.

U4U allows Alina and Veronica to remain in the US for up to 2 years as Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees. Unfortunately, the program does not, as yet, provide a pathway to refugee or green-card status, which means two things:

1. She may not be allowed to remain in the US legally after her parole has ended in 2025; and

2. That uncertainty regarding her immigration status will likely limit her access to salaried work options, further restricting the amount she could earn to support herself and her child.

At present, Alina's income opportunities appear limited to hourly rates at minimum wage. With inflation driving up the American cost of living, some 95-99% of Alina's income will have to go toward paying for rent, utilities, and/or childcare. That leaves very little left over for "rainy days", which happen more often than we would like to admit. To make matters worse, Veronica's father, a Ukrainian soldier, is no longer capable of providing financial support for his family in the US, which means Alina and Veronica are truly on their own.

Additional Disclosures.

We have enrolled Alina in Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, and TANF support programs, which is why food and medical care were not included in the list of needs above. Those programs are only available to her for 12 months provided her income remains below a certain threshold. If she works enough to cover her basic living expenses, she will "break" this income threshold and her cost-of-living expenses will likely increase. This pins Alina and Veronica under a sort of invisible ceiling that will be very difficult for them to overcome without additional support. Any excess donations collected will go toward insulating her family from this possibility.

Fund Organizers.

The Winters Family (Josh, Amelia, Elijah) is currently sponsoring Alina and Veronica under the U4U program. After their arrival in January, Alina and Veronica moved into the Winters' home while they were applying for the support programs listed above. Josh and Amelia have also been helping Alina look for housing, child care, and work opportunities to help her get on her feet. Josh worked with Veronica's father for a brief period, so after Russia invaded last year, Josh and Amelia knew they wanted to get directly involved, and the U4U program gave them a pathway to do so.