Help Dmytro start working and support his family

On February 24, 2022, our family was faced with unthinkable circumstances: Russia initiated a full-blown military invasion of our country, Ukraine. Kharkiv, our beloved home known as a great city to raise a family, was suddenly filled with the horrifying blare of air raid sirens. My wife Anastasiia, our son Tymur, and I left all of our possessions behind and spent several months in shelters. We lived in this purgatory until we received news that, thanks to the Unite for Ukraine program, we would be allowed to travel to and settle in the United States.

Now, the three of us are rebuilding our lives in Boston with the assistance of the International Institute of New England (IINE). We are very grateful for the warm welcome this city and the entire country have given us. Not long after our arrival, we received the joyous news that we are expecting our second child! In order to provide for our soon-to-be family of four, Anastasiia and I are committed to restarting our careers in the US as quickly as possible. We were both small business owners in Ukraine. Anastasiia is now looking for work, and I am striving to continue my career as a mechanic with a specialization in automotive electronics.

There is, however, one last hurdle to us rebuilding our lives fully. The industry standard in automobile repair is that mechanics are expected to bring their own tools to work. These tools are prohibitively expensive and having been forced to leave everything behind in Ukraine, I am at a severe disadvantage as I try to put my 10+ years of experience to use. I have begun work at a well-respected garage in Braintree, MA, where the team has been extremely supportive of me, and the other mechanics allow me to borrow their tools as needed. However, as this slows down my colleagues it is only a temporary solution, and to continue working there I have been told that I need to obtain tools as quickly as possible.

This is why I am reaching out to you. I am fundraising for $8,000, as that is the amount needed to purchase the required tools. It is a hefty amount, and as such even the smallest donation would help immensely. I am attaching the list of tools that I will be purchasing with your generous donations. Rest assured that this would be an investment in a resilient Ukrainian family looking to become self-sufficient in the US. For me and Anastasiia, starting our careers over again in the US has been a challenge, but it is only one of many hurdles we have faced; in every case, we have risen to the challenge, and we have overcome. I am confident that this is nothing but another temporary setback. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the people of the United States and to all the caring people who are now helping Ukraine, my beloved home country under siege. Thanks to you and your kindness, Ukrainians like my family and I can reside peacefully in this country and live our lives in safety. May Ukraine win this terrible war.