Ukrainian In Tri Cities Helping Refugees

More than four million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Most of them have gone to other European countries, some are trying to get to the US. 

Lana Sinyuk is in the Tri Cities trying to help those Ukrainians, while also helping her own family in the middle of a war.

Lana Sinyuk  left Ukraine for Washington State in 1989 with her parents and two sisters. Now, she works with World Relief Tri Cities, a Christian based non-profit that brought her here. 

She speaks to people everyday who are trying to get their families out of Ukraine. 

“I have a whole list of families that are just waiting to hear some good news.”

Including her family. She is in contact with a brother and sister, talking twice a day with them, if the internet stays connected. Her brother Viktor, has physical impairments and can escape, but has chosen to stay.

“He just doesn’t want to leave. Like a lot of Ukrainains, he just wants to stay there, and support his country. But my sister, she can’t. The town is completely occupied. There is only Russian military. They cannot get out. It would be way dangerous to try to escape from there.”

Lana’s sister Valentina is in an occupied city in Southeastern Ukraine  with her two children.  Lana says that talking to her family daily helps, and being religious, she prays. She says she hopes people in the Tri-Cities reach out to World Relief to help, to donate, and to pray for the people of Ukraine, including her family.

Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.