Uniting for Ukraine

Hello, my name is Ron Bullock and I am requesting your assistance with bringing a displaced family in Ukraine to the US under the United for Ukraine program in order to raise their son in a safe and happy environment.

As you know the war in Ukraine has negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of people and while we cannot help them all, my wife Trini and I, have decided to help at least one family by sponsoring them under the Uniting for Ukraine program (https://www.uscis.gov/ukraine) . Basically, this means we have agreed to sponsor a family by bringing them to the US, housing them and providing basic needs while they re-establish themselves here.

We have been communicating with a family of four (Husband, Wife, Child, and Grandmother) for several months and have been approved to sponsor them. A little about them:

They are a family of four that fled Ukraine in March, Yevhen Kovalenko (Husband), Mariia Kovalenko (Wife), Maksym Kovalenko (son 7 y/o) and Natalia Panchenko (Grandma). They owned their own home and business in Ukraine when they were attacked and sheltered in the basement for four days hoping it would end quickly. They were forced to evacuate to a nearby city where they sheltered for a few days until that town too was attacked and they were forced to evacuate again. Yevhen was able to escort his family to the border of Poland, his family continued on foot until they eventually made their way to France as refugees while he returned to Ukraine to assist in the war efforts.

Just today Yevhen received permission to leave Ukraine and move to the US with his family, we are very happy for them and are trying to help in any way we can. One of the major challenges is airfare for 4 from France to Austin, we estimate this will be approximately $4,800. We are asking for donations to help cover this expense.

Any and all assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated and all funds will go directly to their expenses.