Harrowing memories, hope for the future: Bend for Ukraine group assists local refugees of the Russian invasion

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Wednesday evening marked Bend for Ukraine’s inaugural mobile resources market event, held in the Lewis and Clark Room at 1300 Wall Street downtown.

War continues to rage two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Bend for Ukraine is currently helping seven families who fled their homeland, looking for a new place to call home.

That’s where this initiative comes into play.  

"So the initiative really is a conduit," said Mila Shelehoff, the founder of Bend for Ukraine. "We remove barriers between families finding schools for their kids or learning about, 'How do I look for housing?' or 'Where do I go to get a dental appointment?' You name it."

Anastasia, a Ukrainian refugee who is now a Central Oregon resident, shared her harrowing story of escaping the war-torn land

Translated by Mila Shelehoff, she said: "For two kilometers, they had to walk. The distance that they had to walk was covered in the news, because it was not possible to drive, because the Russian tanks were blocking the way. But they believed they could get through - and they did."

The families who came to Central Oregon arrived with nothing, and are in need of everything, including food, a place to stay, health care and education.  

Sue Meyer, representing COCC said: “Today, we're here to provide some information on our adult basic skills. So getting a GED, learning English, learning some trades. And then there was also concern for what our teens might be doing this summer, so we brought some information about teen programing as well, through Community Education.

Some people at the event wore sunflowers, representing the Ukrainian harvest, as the country is one of the leading producers of sunflowers and its oil: the sunflower representing blue for the sky and yellow for the fields – also the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Bend for Ukraine has partnered with various organizations including COCC, the Deschutes Public Library, and the Oregon Department of Human Services, to offer aid, all in one place at this event. 

Shelehoff says their biggest struggle right now is funding.

Through the initiatives website at www.sprouts.org, you can learn more about educational programs, donating, and how to become a volunteer.