Common Sense, Ep. 68: Welcoming New Ukrainian Friends
In this episode I sit down for an interview with the Bukovtsov family, who are recently-arrived refugees from Ukraine. They talk about their experiences since the war began, how they got out of that war-torn country, and how they are doing now that they’ve made it to the Wenatchee Valley.
Intro
Hello and welcome to episode sixty-eight of Common Sense! I’m Dominick Bonny and in this episode, we’re going to meet most of the Bukovtsov family. They are Ukrainian refugees and brand new to our community thanks in large part to the efforts of Olga Rybkov, who along with her brother Alex, who is in Ukraine, has been working tirelessly to help people on the ground in that war-torn yet still defiant country. Oleg, Karyna, Mia, Sofiia and their little sister Yeva have had quite the journey getting to the US and the Wenatchee Valley and I want to jump right in because it’s a lengthy interview that I think everyone in this community and even abroad will find interesting. Karyna is the best at speaking English in the family currently, although I’m sure that will change very quickly now that the girls are all in school, so she does most of the talking and Olga did the translating. Stay tuned after the interview if you’d like to learn how you can help support what Olga and Alex are doing for those still in Ukraine. Now let’s meet the Bukovstovs!
Interview segment I
Stay tuned after the break for more.
Commercial break
Welcome back, let’s get right back to my interview with the Bukovstov family, who are recently-arrived refugees from Ukraine.
Interview segment II
FDR once called the United States the “arsenal of democracy” and I think it’s time to pick up that mantle and fully embrace it once again. A threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere and the guy who started the largest land war in Europe since World War Two cannot be allowed to invade any country he wants because he feels like he owns it. Like Olga said at the end, they don’t need American troops to come save them – they just need the tools to get the job done. As you can see here, the Ukrainian people are proud, tough and resilient. How this thing shakes out is anyone’s guess. I hope it ends soon and Putin gets the justice he deserves. But I thank God that Oleg, Karyna, Mia, Sofiia and Yeva were able to get out of the country safely and make it to our little slice of heaven here in the Wenatchee Valley. It would not have been possible if not for the work of folks like Olga, as well as the welcoming committee spearheaded by Grace Lutheran church and Russ Spiedel in Wenatchee. If you’d like to learn more about Olga’s work through Mission VHF you can pause this program right now and scan this QR code with your phone, or you can look them up on Facebook at Mission VHF - Ukraine. That’s all for this episode, join me next time for more Common Sense!
Sources:
Mission VHF – Ukraine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionVHF
From Olga:
“A donation through 501C3 WA state non-profit organization Mission VHF.
This option will get you a tax-deductible receipt at the end of the year.
Checks can be made out and sent to:
Mission VHF
630 Valley Mall Pkwy #481
East Wenatchee WA 98802
Another way is via Venmo:
Venmo: @Mission-VHF
Indicate ‘For Ukraine’ in the comment.
If you would like to get a tax-deductible receipt for your Venmo donation, please e-mail missionvhf7@gmail.com to request one. I usually send them out in January of each year right before most people do their taxes.
If you would like to set up a monthly withdrawal to donate monthly to Mission VHF, I can send you a form to fill out. Please e-mail missionvhf7@gmail.com to request a form. This is a secure platform through the Cashmere Valley Bank ACH program. Your donation will get withdrawn around the 20th of each month.”