Family of UT law student from Ukraine safely out of the country - WTVG
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - 13abc has talked with University of Toledo student Alona Matchenko a few times since the Russian invasion; she is from Ukraine and has family still there. But 13abc got word today that Matchenko’s mother, stepfather, grandma and two young siblings have safely crossed the border to Poland.
Matchenko says her family’s decision to leave the country was a tough one. Her stepfather had just gotten into ministry school, and he wanted to stay behind and help.
“He was very firm with his decision to stay and minister to people while fire was around. We told him it’s a wonderful idea, but the children don’t deserve that. They should be out of there,” says Matchenko.
Her family’s trek started days ago. She described their harrowing escape: “When they got there, there was a huge detour, and people were waiting for many days, like three days, just on the border. I believe with your positive thoughts and prayers over this last week helped my family get a favor with a local volunteering group who just grabbed my two siblings, and my mom, and my step-dad, who is epileptic and cannot fight because of his disability, they even let him on to that bus. They all, including grandma, were able to get to Poland.”
Now that they’re in Poland, Matckenko says her family has just 15 days to figure out what they are going to do. So back here in Toledo, her organization “Toledo Helps Ukraine” is trying to figure out how to quickly get people to America that left all documentation behind when they fled Ukraine.
Matchenko says, “All our efforts currently within the next few days and weeks are on how to make the legal work easier for them so they can make a decision where they would like to file for refugee status.”
This is Matchenko’s message to the community: “I’m asking, please, anyone who has any information on how to help people with no passports or documents who immigrated and ran away to Ukraine with nothing but one bag of sweaters and pictures they like, I don’t even know what they put in there. My team of ‘Toledo Helps Ukraine’ are willing to dig more into those documents, we just don’t know where to start. Please, if you have resources contact us.”
If you or someone you know how the resources to help Matchenko get documentation for her family and other who escaped Ukraine, they have a Facebook page.
There is also a GoFundMe Matchenko is using to financially help Ukrainians.
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source: https://www.13abc.com/2022/03/04/family-ut-law-student-ukraine-safely-out-country/
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