Will You Help Bring This Ukrainian Family to Yakima?
If you mapped out people who know other people you might be surprised at how far your network actually reaches. Take for example, Iryna Petruncio of Yakima. 27 years ago she was a student at Ukrainian State University, studying with a gentleman named Roman. Fast forward to present day the two have remained friends and if you know anything about the state of Ukraine currently, these friends are in need of help.
Roman his wife and two daughters, who are still in school, fled to the Netherlands once the 2022 Ukrainian invasion began and it has been anything but easy for them.
Iryna and Her Family Want to Bring Roman and His Family to Yakima, WA
Iryna has been vigilant about checking in with family and friends back in Ukraine
During one of those calls, Roman mentioned the despair his daughters were experiencing — being away from their home, friends, and school. He felt helpless. I spoke with my husband, and after a cup of coffee, he came up with an idea to give these two young ladies something to look forward to – an opportunity to study in the USA. We learned about a launch of the ‘Uniting for Ukraine’ program and decided to open our home to this family.
Iryna reached out to me, explaining how they had never done anything like this before and was hoping we might be able to spread the word in order to obtain some local sponsors. They have created a GoFundMe
Roman and Iryna want to provide for their daughters’ future, and upon arrival in Yakima, they will be eligible to apply for authorization to work. Liliya and Viktoriya want to continue their education in Yakima. Liliya passed her English proficiency test and has applied to Yakima Valley College. Viktoriya applied and has been accepted to La Salle High School.The family is planning to arrive in Yakima in July. They will have many challenges ahead. Our immediate goal is to raise funds for airline tickets - $3,500; high school and college tuition - $20,000; medical insurance - $5,000; family car - $15,000. We are hoping your generosity will help them travel and get settled in the USA.