ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Members of Asheville’s Ukrainian community said they could only watch, hope and pray after Russia launched an invasion into Ukraine earlier this week.
“It’s been tough on our community here in Asheville because there’s a lot of Ukrainian people here and we just you know — kind of hope for the best and all we can do is pray and hope that everybody is safe,” Yelena Radchishin said.
Radchishin’s family left Ukraine 30 years ago, initially landing in Chicago and then spending a brief time in California. Now, they have lived in Asheville about 28 years.
Radchishin has cousins in the country. Her mother, Lyubov, still has a brother and sister there as well. Late Wednesday night, Radchishin said she was texting with one of them.
“He was up, so I call him, and I said that uh— ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘Well, the war has started.’ So, he woke up to a big explosion, and that’s what woke him up,” Radchishin said, describing their communication late Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
He, and other members of the family, lived in the capital city of Kyiv.
“The traffic was horrible. Gas stations all were packed up, people trying to get gas. Also, the stores were out of food,” Radchishin said, adding pharmacies were also out of medicine.
Now, their family members are attempting to leave the country. Despite the bad news, Radchishin and her parents are still determined to do what they can to help their former home country.
For 20 years, Lyubov and her husband have been sending care packages to Ukrainian families in need, about 30 to 40 boxes every two months. The boxes weigh about 40 pounds and cost $25 to ship.
“This is normally what goes in a box: dry stuff, clothes, just anything that people can use in the small villages,” Radchishin said while packing a box.
It all started when the family would return to visit Ukraine each summer. Her parents would participate in a church-led summer camp for children, meeting families in need and forging connections.
“What they do — they take information and they write it down. How many kids you have, what size kids wear, all that stuff. So, they have a list, and what they do— they pack it and they ship it directly to them,” Radchishin said.
Lyubov, who speaks little English, had her daughter tell Spectrum News 1 the couple just wanted to help people.
“She’s saying mostly because when she meets people, she has a heart for them and she knows they’re in need. And, we are blessed here. The United States blessed us and we feel we have a little bit to give back,” Radchishin said on her mom’s behalf.
Now, the people of Ukraine need it more than ever and the family is determined to keep boxes headed to Eastern Europe. Radchishin said they will keep sending them as long as the borders remain open.
On Thursday, community members brought donations to the family home, knowing Lyubov would want to pack more boxes.
“It means a lot. It makes us happy that not only we have a heart like that, but other people have a heart like that,” Radchishin said through tears.
The donated items often come from local churches, as well as the family’s own pantries and closets.