Ukrainian Mom, Sister and 4 Kids
Donation protected
Ukrainian Mom, Sister and 4 Kids
My name is Masha, I am a mom of three beautiful kids. We arrived
here with my sister Iryana and her daughter 9 months ago. My kids and I
used to live in a small charming city, Bucha, 15 minutes away from
Kyiv. We loved our small apartment and our time together. I loved my
job, and my kids loved their school and friends. It has
almost a year since they saw their grandparents and father for the last
time. We miss them! It is very hard.
I still remember that morning when Russia invaded Ukraine. I
remember the helicopters that flew over our house and bombed the
airport in the city next to ours. We saw it through our kitchen window. We slept in the basement for over two weeks. I remember the fear on my kids’ faces when they saw tanks and burned bodies. It was a nightmare.
The day we fled Ukraine is still a blur. We couldn’t believe that we were finally safe and were so grateful we were able to come to the U.S. But we had nothing and I was not sure how we would survive. I spoke some English and was able to get a job waitressing. I also got my Driver's License and my sister is working on getting her permit too. Her English is not as good as mine yet.
I am so proud of our 4 kids: Kyra 9, Kyrylo 8, Kamila 6 and Zara 4! They are doing great and learning English more and more each day. They miss their home and friends but each day they are making progress and adjusting more and more to life here. It has been so hard on them.
It took 4 months for me to get Work Authorization in the US so I could be paid. We are Humanitarian Paroles and cannot apply for Refugee status/benefits for 2 years. It is extremely difficult to support 6 people on my waitressing paycheck. My sister will be working once she gets her permit and Zara is in school.
We are still struggling every day. But we thank God, we met a lot of nice
people who have helped us and made the transition so much easier. I am so grateful! But we still need some help to get an apartment on our own.
We are raising money to cover the expenses of first/last month's rent, security deposit, moving expenses, rent, utilities, furniture, and clothes. We so appreciate the generosity and help we have received. And would be so grateful for every donation made to help us!! Every bit helps...
Thank you so much,
Masha, Iryana, Kyra, Kyrylo, Kamila and Zara
PS - If you would like to see my speech given at Governor Lamont's anniversary event on the start of the Russian Invasion. Below is a link... my portion starts around 38 minutes. Thank you again!!!
Organizer
Mariia Klykova
Organizer
Framingham, MA