Home Away From Home
by Emily Raij
Friends for Life
Almost immediately after the war in Ukraine broke out, Orlando attorney Gary Israel was hard at work using his connections to provide help, whether that meant assisting with supply drives through St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Catholic Church in Apopka or setting up fundraisers. We shared Gary’s story in the summer 2022 issue of J Life, and in the months since, his family has further opened their hearts – and their home.
“I had posted on Facebook my desire to help anyone,” says Gary.
That’s how he first learned about Olena, a 44-year-old single mother, and her nine-year-old daughter Milana.
Olena already had a friend in Miami who sponsored her and Milana and enabled them to enter the United States, but they needed a place to stay because that friend lived in a small apartment. Gary said he had plenty of room at his home, which he shares with husband Andrew and children Jacob and Melanie, so Olena and Milana moved to the house in August right before school started. Milana and Melanie are both in third grade and hit it off immediately.
“She and my daughter have bonded,” says Gary. “They’re like sisters now.”
Milana and Melanie look like sisters too, and in addition to attending school and aftercare together, the girls are taking ballet and etiquette classes. Gary says Milana and her mother know some English, and Andrew, who attended Ukrainian language school as a child, is fluent in Ukrainian, so communication is not a problem.
“In the house, I try for everyone to speak English so we can teach them,” Gary explains. “We don’t lack for understanding.”
Olena was an economics professor at the University of Kyiv and worked for startup companies in Ukraine.
“She is skilled in accounting and business management but just needs the U.S. government to grant her permission to work here,” says Gary, who explains that the process of getting work papers and filling out other federal forms takes up a large portion of Olena’s days.
In the meantime, he has been able to connect Olena to families needing childcare here. And she stays in touch with friends and family back home through Telegram, a Ukrainian social network that lets people send and receive messages, videos, calls, photos, and other files.
Father Roman Kuzminskyi at St. Mary Protectress is also in constant contact with people in Ukraine and lets his congregation know when refugees need a sponsor, a place to live, or furniture once they arrive in the U.S.
Those in the Central Florida community interested in sponsoring others seeking to escape Ukraine can contact Gary at 407-230-6597.
A Big, Happy Family
Bree Goldstein, her husband Joel, and their children Shale and Arden discussed opening their Geneva home to a Ukrainian family in need before signing up with three different hosting programs. They were ultimately matched through United for Ukraine with a mother whose two children are the same ages as the Goldstein kids. In July, 27-year-old Anna arrived with her six-year-old son Serhii and five-year-old daughter Anastasiia.
“We thought it would be not just a way to impact their lives, but a great growing experience for us, as well,” says Bree, president of the local Jewish Chamber of Commerce.
The family originally came from the Ukrainian city of Cherkasy, which Bree explains is about two hours from Kyiv, and they first spent some time in Poland and England with temporary hosts. On July 7, they flew into Orlando and were greeted with big smiles and big signs – in English and Ukrainian – from the Goldsteins.
“My son woke up that morning and said, ‘Are our new brother and sister coming?’” grins Bree.
The Goldsteins prepared for their guests by learning some Ukrainian, adding more chairs around the dining table, installing extra car seats, and renovating a guest room and bathroom to accommodate the family.
“We asked Anna what her living situation was like, and they had always lived in a one-bedroom apartment,” says Bree, “so we decided we’d turn our guest bedroom into a one-bedroom apartment with an attached bathroom.”
Anna is here on a humanitarian parole visa, which is good for up to two years, although the family can move out and return to Ukraine at any time. While the Goldsteins’ commitment as a host family is to provide food and shelter, it is clear they are offering much more. Bree enrolled Serhii and Anastasiia in school, soccer, and other activities with her children, and she has been trying to connect Anna with friends and potential job opportunities while she waits to get her work permit. Anna and her kids go to services at St. Mary Protectress, and Serhii and Anastasiia also go to Ukrainian school most afternoons. But during their free time, all four kids enjoy swimming and playing games together.
“The kids love each other,” says Bree. “Her kids are wonderful. They run around and exhaust each other. It’s so nice. They add another sense of life and human-ness and spirit and laughter.”
For those who want to help but are unsure about hosting or are nervous about the financial commitment, Bree explains that multiple families or people can sponsor a single family together.
“It’s always worthwhile to help someone if you’re able to,” she says. “Definitely recognize that it’s a big commitment, but it can also be a completely beautiful, life-changing thing for everyone involved.”