Refuge in Connecticut
On August 25, Liudmyla, Volodymyr, and their three daughters stepped into the lobby of a crowded JFK terminal, where they would soon meet their hosts, Susan and Ted Helms. It had been their first time on a flight - direct from Warsaw - and first time in the United States.
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They had been living in a boarding house with five other Ukrainian families for the past six months since the Russo-Ukrainian war broke out, sharing just one bathroom and kitchenette among twenty or so people. Liudmyla, who had been following the news very closely, applied for the Uniting for Ukraine Program as soon as it was publicly announced.
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Meanwhile in Connecticut, Susan Helms had been reaching out to find family connections in Ukraine who needed assistance. Initially, she had no intention of hosting refugees, but when she learned that Liudmyla, Volodymyr, and their daughters were looking for sponsorship in the United States, the opportunity just felt right.
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"When I first committed, there was no government assistance at all. There was no insurance for them, and there was no cash assistance, but luckily after we started the process the program kept developing," said Helms. She said that it was while she was in the process of becoming a sponsor that the state began offering state insurance to Ukrainian entrants, as well as cash and food assistance.
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"Benefits are really helpful for a family of five to get them started on independence," said Helms, "So they can have a good start, get their license, get good jobs, and support the children."
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Liudmyla, who was a nurse in Ukraine and Poland, and Volodymyr, who was a teacher, have been having difficulty receiving work authorization.
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"They're both educated, and they both had good jobs in Ukraine, but the work permits are taking a long time," said Helms. "I heard four weeks, I heard four months."
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For the first seven months, Uniting for Ukraine parolees were being charged $410 to apply for a work permit. On November 21, it was announced that Ukrainians paroled through U4U were now automatically authorized to work, meaning Liudmyla and Volodymyr could begin applying for jobs.
" I feel like I'm on the frontier '''
- Susan Helms
After initial struggles with finding resources to help out her guests, Helms found Kathy Sheppard at IRIS, who she says has been an amazing resource.
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"She's been all about really helping. She's been consistent, she follows up."
Besides work authorization, Helms has been in the process of getting the family everything they need to be comfortable and happy. She has been doing food purchasing and preparing, driving, and has created a list of goals to help the family.
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"I want their experience to be happy here," said Helms. "I want them to feel, as quickly as possible, that they are welcome here and that they are living an American life."
Thus far, the US federal government has not mentioned whether the Uniting for Ukraine parole will be extended past two years or if parolees will be provided with pathways to US citizenship if the war in Ukraine persists.
Liudmyla and Volodymyr have voiced their desire to stay in the US. Their three daughters are enjoying life in America so far, and the family has entered a green card lottery in hopes that they might gain permanent residence when their two-year parolee status expires.
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Photo courtesy of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), New Haven