Mom, daughter among many Ukrainian refugees hoping to make living in New Jersey

WHIPPANY, New Jersey (WABC) — Because the conflict rages on abroad, a mom and her younger daughter try to make a brand new life for themselves within the Tri-State after fleeing Ukraine.

Dance classes in Ukrainian, for the youngest in the neighborhood, are one of many some ways the Ukrainian American Cultural Heart of New Jersey helps educate and join these with Ukrainian heritage to their language and tradition.

“It helps these of us who by no means lived in Ukraine to really feel that rather more Ukrainian exterior what we expertise in our personal properties and creates a neighborhood,” mentioned Anya Tershakovek Tomko of the Ukrainian American Cultural Heart of New Jersey.

Within the final 12 months, the neighborhood has urgently come collectively to assist Ukraine and the most recent members of its diaspora to land right here, like Darina Zhuracska.

Eyewitness Information reporter Sonia Rincon requested the 33-year-old refugee what life was like a 12 months in the past for her and her 7-year-old daughter Alisa.

Zhuracska mentioned a 12 months in the past, once they had been residing in Odessa, and so they had been listening to the threats of conflict occurring, they nearly did not need to imagine that it was going to occur. She mentioned that when it did occur, it was a horrible shock.

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She described a packed 15-hour evacuation practice trip, hours of strolling with baggage to the Polish border, and a short keep in Italy earlier than a sponsor would convey them to New Jersey, the place she hopes to remain.

Zhuracska mentioned she’s hoping to see her mom once more, however going again to dwell in Ukraine just isn’t one thing that she is contemplating at this level. She mentioned she calls her mom on daily basis.

Volunteers on the heart are continually accumulating, sorting and sending provides to Ukraine by air and container ship. The replenish a container each few weeks.

A room inside is stuffed with medical provides on their method.

This weekend, volunteer Dr. Alex Knihnikcy mentioned the middle goes to be gathering lots of provides for youngsters which have simply moved again into areas which were taken again in Ukraine.

“I do know that they’re each grateful for it and shocked by it, I feel, sadly, as a result of as we all know through the interval of the Soviet Union, not a lot data was coming into Ukraine, and lots of of them once they first acquired right here did not understand that all of us nonetheless communicate Ukranian,” Dr. Knihnikcy mentioned.

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