Ukrainian refugees in the US are trying to help the war effort and restart their shattered lives

In New York, far from her home in northern Ukraine, Valeriya Roshkovan is trying to do what she can to end Russia’s invasion of her country.

“I can’t sit and do nothing,” he said earlier this month at a warehouse in New Jersey where he volunteers with the nonprofit Razom for Ukraine, which helps packages donated firefighting equipment. to send to his country.

Roshkovan, 41, fled Konotop, his town near Ukraine’s northern border with Belarus, shortly after the fight began to save his teenage daughter. She had to leave her husband and other family.

“The town is surrounded, all the artillery is aimed at the town and most of the exits are already in Russian hands,” said Roshkovan through another volunteer who translated his words.

“We have hope that it will be over soon, that the war will be over,” he added. “And that we can be back soon.”

As the first anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches on Friday, that hope is fading. Roshkovan enrolled her teenage daughter in school. He tries to integrate himself into their Brooklyn, New York, environment and stop thinking about the war and their long-term escape, driving through Ukraine and several neighboring countries.

Last year, many Ukrainians living in America discovered Razom, a small nonprofit started in 2014 with a mission to help make Ukraine more prosperous. In previous years, it received about $200,000 in contributions annually. In 2022, the number of donors jumped from nearly 4,000 to 170,000 and gifts now total at least $75 million, said Dora Chomiak, the organization’s president.

“Many people were touched by the complete injustice of the evil man next door to Ukraine, who just destroyed lives. People were touched by the resilience of the people of Ukraine,” he said.

The nonprofit has established a logistics network, opened and staffed an office in Washington to promote Ukraine to lawmakers and has given at least $3 million to small nonprofits in Ukraine. They held almost weekly protests in Times Square to try to keep the war in the public eye. Support for sending weapons and aid to Ukraine and for hosting Ukrainians displaced by the American war slowed down from May to Januarya recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found.

Initially, Razom focused on finding and delivering tactical medical equipment and communication equipment to the front lines, including volunteer fighters.

“Tourniquets, chest seals, various bandages to stop bleeding or provide first aid on the battlefield,” said Andriy Boychuk, 35, a businessman who has lived in the US for 17 years and is leading the effort. in the warehouse.

“If not us, who else?” he said, when asked why a nonprofit sends supplies to the front lines. Recently, it sent generators, wood-burning stoves and candles to its warehouse in Lviv, tracking the shipments using a software program that Razom members developed themselves. Razom’s staff in Ukraine then loaded the items into vans to be transported as needed.

Boychuk and other volunteers said wrapping these items by hand is a form of therapy for them, helping them feel like they’re making a difference.

“It touched everyone,” Boychuk said of the battle. “And that’s why I think we’re here, because we want to help and try not to think about what’s going on there because it can break people,”

The aid they sent is in line with Razom’s charitable mission, as well as import and export regulations, said Chomiak. but that line is sometimes difficult to navigate.

“Who is a civilian and who is military? It’s hard for me personally to parse out,” he said, until he realized while visiting Ukraine in the summer that everyone was struggling to survive, in a way or another.

Another volunteer, Dmytro Malymonenko, learned about Razom when the war began, through Boychuk, a neighbor. “I want to help but I don’t know how and where to start and where to find the community,” he said.

Last year, the impact of the war worsened for him. Malymonenko’s mother recently died in Ukraine of an illness she said was exacerbated by stress and depression caused by the war. His father returned to their hometown of Sumy, which was under bombardment, to organize a funeral.

His life was ruined, he said, urging everyone to act.

“Even a thought or a prayer can help,” he said.

Roshkovan said he still gets goosebumps talking about the war, which he doesn’t believe will break out between countries whose populations have been linked for generations.

“This is not just a war. It’s not just aggression,” he said, touching the skin on his arms. “But it’s also the basic breakdown of relationships. It’s the big betrayal.”

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