Ukraine family uprooted by war settles into new home in East Bay
DANVILLE -- With violence in the Middle East dominating the headlines, the war in Ukraine has become an afterthought for many. On Saturday, a family of refugees from that war-torn country got a heartwarming welcome from a group of volunteers in the East Bay, showing them what it means to be home again.
It was moving day for Dima Leshchynskyi's family. After living for months in the home of a generous benefactor, Dima, his wife Galyna and son, Dima Jr., finally found their own apartment in Danville. It's worlds away from the Ukrainian homeland they fled 18 months ago with all their worldly possessions packed into three suitcases.
"I saw all of these tanks all around, bombing, helicopters and all of that," Dima said. "I told my wife it's time to go, otherwise we will die there."
On Saturday they encountered a different kind of army -- volunteers from a group called "Grateful Gatherings." They do a kind of home makeover for people moving to a new place after a crisis. Co-founder Chris Flitter said her clients are often given an empty apartment but rarely have the means to furnish it.
"They could be there for months sleeping on the floor," she said. "They basically walk into that home with a box of personal belongings and that's it."
After sending the Leshchynskyi's away, volunteers got to work, hauling in a truckload of new bedding, donated furniture, new dishes, kitchen utensils -- even artwork for the walls. As the crew worked furiously in every room, the only problem came when a group of teenage volunteers couldn't figure out how to unscrew an unwanted piece from the coffee table. So they yanked it off.
"Generally, we don't do what we did there where we have to, like, force it," said 17-year-old Chase Watson, with a smile. "But we figure it out in the end!"
Grateful Gatherings averages about two apartment furnishings a week across the Bay Area, with help from a Hayward moving company, Chipman Relocation and Logistics, which donates its trucks and manpower for the project two weekends every month.
"The family is coming home in 15 minutes!" Flitter hollered as the workers rushed to outift the two-bedroom unit.
After two and half hours of work, the finishing touches were being applied just as the excited homeowners arrived. Then, of course, came the reveal.
"Welcome home!" yelled the crew, as the family entered their elegant new living room. "Oh, it's really -- it's really home! Oh, my God, guys, you're amazing," Galyna said. "Now, it's a real home. You made for us a really cozy and nice and -- just an amazing place!"
As they toured the rooms, Galyna was overcome with gratitude and offered, on the spot, to become a volunteer as a way of paying it forward.
"She has never had this, even there, in Ukraine," Flitter said. "So, the fact that she's going to be able to have that, here in America, like yay! Go us! You know, it's so amazing the community comes together like this!"
"From hell to heaven, like, a jump!" Dima said. "From the most unsafe place to the safest place in California. It's like, I don't know -- it's just a miracle, it's a fairy tale or what is this? It's something unbelievable, definitely."
It could be called the American Dream -- where a new place to live truly becomes a home because of the welcome you receive when you get there.