As Russian invasion expands, so do Seattle-based efforts to help Ukrainians

As the Russian invasion expands into the West of Ukraine, people in Western Washington are taking new steps to help.

European Foods in North Seattle is collecting donations to send to Ukraine each week and is selling Ukrainian flags to help with the fundraising effort.

Instead of throwing out the last of their Russian products, the store is selling them and sending all the proceeds to help Ukraine.

“We decided it would be best to donate all that money, all the sales from Russian products, and donate it to Ukraine, charities in Ukraine,” said Grygoriy Lozynskyy, the owner’s son.

The war is affecting his family more, as Russian forces step up their invasion in Western Ukraine.

They are from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, which, a few days ago, was bombed for the first time in the war.

“Lots of missiles flying every single day,” Lozynskyy said.

A couple in Everett is also raising money.

Marina Stiranka is Russian and her husband, Michael, is Ukrainian.

Both plan to travel soon to the Czech Republic to help Ukrainian refugees.

“We’re still thinking that we’re in some sort of twilight zone,” Michael Stiranka said.

Valeriy Goloborodko, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Seattle, is working on getting food, water and medical supplies to people who need them.

He also wants to make sure more than a hundred Ukrainian orphans, who were matched with American families before the war, are brought here soon.

“That’s another issue that strikes many of us right into our heart, and we are trying to help get those children to the United States,” Goloborodko said.

He’s also working to pave the way for Ukrainian refugees who might someday end up in Washington.

©2022 Cox Media Group