Two Years Later: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Dear Friends,

It’s been a little over two years since Russia’s most recent historical invasion of Ukraine, marking the beginning of an ongoing conflict that has forced approximately 14 million Ukrainian nationals to flee their country - up 93% since this time last year.

Since the launch of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program in April 2022, more than 178,000 Ukrainian refugees were sponsored by U.S. residents, offering these individuals a pathway to safety and an opportunity to regain a sense of stability- even if temporary- in a new community that welcomes them.

For the Ukrainian refugees across Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, our Refugee and Immigrant Services team members who serve these particular refugees (most of whom are Ukrainian born) act as an indispensable resource, supporting them as they navigate new pathways essential for establishing stability and success, such as securing employment, enrolling in education programs, and connecting them to spaces of fellowship and community. As we work to help these individuals adjust to life in the U.S., we have also been working to advocate for them and uplift their culture and the contributions they make to our local communities.

Last Tuesday, the office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that Ukrainians who entered the U.S. as Humanitarian Parolees are eligible to apply for re-parole, extending their visa by an additional two years if approved. We applaud this decision and are relieved that there is hope and greater certainty for our clients in what the short-term future may hold.

As we reflect on the work we’ve done in the past two years to welcome Ukrainian refugees, we’d like to introduce you to a very special family we’ve been blessed to walk alongside on their path from surviving to thriving!

Meet The Sorohin Family (Cumming, GA):

Yuliia, a linguist and interpreter, met her husband Andrii while he was studying to become an MD. After graduating in 2003, Andrii began his residency at a major hospital in Kyiv, marking the beginning of an impressive and dynamic career in the medical field and pharmaceutical industry. He and Yuliia would get married, welcome four children to their family, and continue building their lives and careers in Ukraine’s capital city.

However, by autumn of 2022, Russian forces had started bombing and shooting in major cities, destroyed many electrical stations, creating chaos, destruction and blackout throughout Ukraine. Yuliia notes the poignancy of this moment - her family cold, afraid, and surrounded by darkness, recognized it was no longer safe to stay. Saying goodbye to their beloved family, pets, neighbors, and family home, they made the heartbreaking yet necessary decision to leave Kiev.

Following a brief stay in Poland, the Sorohin family arrived in the U.S. in April 2023 through the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program. After initially spending some time with a sponsor in California, the family received an opportunity to relocate to Georgia. Thanks to a loan from a generous friend, Andrii and Yuliia purchased a used car and together with their four children, kicked off their cross-country road trip that would land them in Cumming.

Thanks to friends and American sponsors in Georgia, the family was able to settle and adapt in Cumming. The family who hosted the Sorohins were very kind and good people but as a family of six, they would soon need to find their own place and begin their own pathway forward in the U.S.

With the support and guidance of Inspiritus, Andrii and Yuliia were able to move out of their sponsor’s home and into their own place within three months of arriving. Additionally, our team worked with Andrii and Yuliia to get their (many) collective degrees translated and evaluated so they can be officially recognized among U.S. employers and educational institutions. It was through this experience that Andrii soon realized that state licensing policies do not offer a streamlined pathway for foreign-trained physicians like him to practice medicine in the state of Georgia. Reducing barriers to relicensing for foreign-trained doctors like him is a cause for which he’s become a community advocate and has even discussed with Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger last month.

While he hopes to one day practice medicine again here in Georgia, in the meantime, Andrii works as a Pharmaceutical Technician at a local pharmacy where he’s able to remain connected to the medical field. Yuliia has thrown herself into nonprofit work as a regular volunteer with the U4UKids Project, a program dedicated to helping Ukrainian children whose fathers died in the war. Their eldest son, Daniel (18), is working his short-term dream job as a Starbucks barista while he works on his long-term dream of going to college for fashion design. Their other children, whose ages range from 16, 11, and 7 are loving their Forsyth County neighborhood schools and have course achievements. The family has joined a nearby Evangelical church, where they’ve found a place of community and fellowship.

Despite all the challenges and hardships this family has endured, these experiences have done little to shake the family’s faith and optimism. When asked about their hopes for the future, Yuliia remarks, “We believe that God will help us. Our hope is to have a good possibility for life in America. Good jobs, good moments…But our heart is broken about Ukraine. We know the war is evil. Good must win. It is painful to discuss, but as Bible teaches us, what your hand can do – do it with all your might! In other words: if you can help, you must help (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We try to help in any way we can…we don’t know how long the [Uniting for Ukraine] program will last but while we are here, we will help in any way to our Homeland.”

As a final thought, the Sorohin family has a message to share with our state lawmakers and the American people:

“Ukrainian families across the world ask you to continue praying for Ukraine, for the victory of good over evil, for God's blessing for Ukraine, and we ask you to support the people of Ukraine in this difficult time. Your contribution to start our lives here is so important and significant and we appreciate it! Thank you for your strong support. God bless Ukraine. God Bless America. Glory to God.”

With gratitude,

Aimee Zangandou
Executive Director of Refugee & Immigrant Services
Inspiritus