Fleeing a War Zone and Finding a New Home

Kateryna was a 48-year-old woman working with kindergarten students and living happily with her nine-year-old son, Dmytro, in northeast Ukraine — until everything changed on February 24, 2022, when the conflict began.

At first, Kateryna and Dmytro (not their real names) lived in their basement, without light, heat, or water. But soon, Dmytro became ill and began having panic attacks because of the constant explosions. With no transportation service available, Kateryna, her mother, and Dmytro packed into a friend’s car with four other people and fled.

What was normally an eight-hour drive to western Ukraine stretched into five agonizing days. At night, they stayed in homes or restaurants, sleeping on floors or mattresses. They eventually settled in a school building in a nearby village.

The school accommodated them through the summer, but when classes started, they had to move on. What little money Kateryna had was now gone, and she could not afford rent. Then she heard about a new shelter being built at St. Olga’s Church, supported by IOCC.

Once the shelter opened, life began to improve. Dmytro resumed his schooling and started working with a psychologist. The director of St. Olga’s Shelter found a job for Kateryna — working with displaced children, helping others overcome the trauma that she and Dmytro know all too well.

Kateryna summed up her journey, saying: “Everything is fine now. I am very grateful for the Shelter and the opportunity to help other people!”