HILLSBORO, Ore. — A family of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war is starting over in Hillsboro. Their home was bombed not once, but twice.
Olha and her 13-year-old daughter, Anna, arrived in Oregon on Oct. 3. Everything they owned fit into four bags. They’re grateful for the kindness of strangers after losing nearly all of their belongings.
“I really like the state and the city, and I feel really safe here which is the most important thing,” Anna said, speaking to KGW with the help of an interpreter.
For safety reasons, the family doesn't want to be identified by their last name.
In September 2022, Russian military forces bombed the family’s home in Ukraine. Russian forces also destroyed their home in 2014.
“I feel safe now, but I still have nightmares once in a while about the war and the bombs,” Olha said, speaking to KGW through an interpreter.
Seven months ago, Olha's 22-year-old son, Andrew, managed to escape from Ukraine. He applied for asylum and his case is pending in California. He arranged for his mother and sister to get a two-year visa to enter the United States through the government's Uniting for Ukraine program.
Seth Miller, a local volunteer, has been working with Andrew and is helping Anna and Olha settle in. He also started a GoFundMe to help the family since they only have summer clothes and will need to buy supplies.
"I've been really proud of Oregon for all the things we've been able to provide to them," he said.
Miller reached out to his friend, Alex Aginsky, who grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine. He and his business partners own a hotel in Hillsboro. They are letting Olha and Anna stay there for free while they find their own place.
“There's a lot of trauma that's happening around the world unfortunately,” Aginsky said. “We should all be doing what we can to help the people that need the help.”
As Olha leaves behind a nightmare to pursue an American dream, she hopes her family become valuable members of the community.
“We would like to stay in this country, learn the language, I would love my kids to learn as well,” Olha said. “I'm an engineer so I'd love to be able to work in that profession.”
For Anna, it's all overwhelming, but in a good way.
“The fact that I live here and I’m surrounded by kind people,” Anna said. “Even though they don't know us and they don't understand our situation, they want to help which is amazing.”