Photo by: Danielle D Photography
How many kids do you each have and what are their ages?
I have three kids: two daughters and a son. The oldest one is Sophia who is 12, middle one is Marta, 8 years old, and the youngest one is Roman, who is 6 years old.
What are your favorite family activities in Stamford?
We love taking walks on Cove Island Park, spending the weekends at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, and visiting their Sunday’s farmer’s market in summer. We also love going to Chelsea Piers Splash Zone area on Sundays. Our favorite place to go out for Saturday family dinner is Capriccio Café on Bedford Street.
What do you like about living in Stamford?
Stamford has a special place in my heart. This is the place where I started my family, all our kids were born in Stamford hospital, and this place offers a diverse community where you have everything that you need.
Tell us about the Sister City Committee in Stamford and your involvement.
The committee is made up of dedicated Stamford residents who are organizing to support our new sister city, Kramatorsk. We are so grateful to the people of Stamford, CT for standing behind the people of Kramatorsk, Ukraine in their time of greatest need. Tax deductible donations can be made and earmarked for Kramatorsk at ukraineaidinternational.org/donate (select Stamford / Kramatorsk from the dropdown menu to earmark).
About UAI: UAI was founded by Brian Mayer, Marshall Mayer, and Liz Olegov in April 2022 to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Ukraine on the front lines who need it most. More information about our organization can be found here.
How did you get involved?
Me and my husband were born and raised in Ukraine. We have been collecting and sending humanitarian AID directly in the areas of active warfare and health care facilities since the full Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. When we heard that Stamford is becoming the sister city to one of the cities in Ukraine, I decided to join the committee, since it is another way to get involved and support Ukraine.
How is Stamford planning to help Kramatorsk, Ukraine?
Kramatorsk has many urgent needs that we’re actively fundraising for, and we’re working with UAI to deliver the aid directly to civilians in Kramatorsk. The fastest way to help is to donate at ukraineaidinternational.org/donate and earmark for Kramatorsk. 100% of donations will go towards delivering aid to Kramatorsk, prioritizing the biggest requests that Kramatorsk has asked for:
- Medical equipment for the hospital, including an MRI machine ($500,000 needed)
- Reconstruction of the common areas of apartment buildings: roofs, stairwells, plumbing and utilities ($250,000 needed for 5 buildings housing 100 families)
- School reconstruction ($200,000 needed for two secondary schools)
- Bulldozers, dump trucks, excavators and other heavy equipment for reconstruction and cleanup ($150,000 needed for 5 vehicles)
- Water filtration and systems for clean drinking water ($85,000 needed for 10 systems)
- Generators for electricity ($50,000 needed for 100 generators)
- Radio communicators for first responders in absence of reliable cell networks ($25,000 needed)
- First aid kits and tourniquets ($10,000 for 100 emergency medical kits)
How can others get involved?
Anyone who wants to join our fundraising steering committee please reach out! And we’d also love to talk to anyone who can help facilitate corporate sponsorships — support from a civic minded business with a Stamford HQ would go a long way!
Why is this an important cause for you personally?
All our family still resides in Ukraine and in great risk to be killed by Russians every minute. My classmates and friends are fighting at the war right now, for their families, their country and freedom. They all remind us of who human beings can be, what it looks like to stand on principle, why it’s worth fighting whether or not you believe you can win, is a gift Ukrainians have given us. They remind us who we can be, and in facing the other crises of our time, who we need to be. I wish I could do more and protect my motherland and be with my family at this moment. There is a feeling of guilt to be safe on the other part of the world, while innocent people are dying from Russian missiles. That’s why I feel an obligation to help them as much as I can and find more ways to do so.