TOLEDO, Ohio — A year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, nonprofit organization Toledo Helps Ukraine promised to bring more refugees to safety. The organization has kept its promise and a new family is here in the Glass City.
It took a month for Andrew Schwirzinski to be approved to sponsor a family of four from Ukraine.
"It's kind of nervous, it's kind of excited, kind of in limbo like 'what's going to happen?'" Schwirzinski said. "You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month. So it's kind of that feeling of walking into the unknown."
He said walking into this, he knew it would change his life, but the good outweighed the fear.
"Just helping someone who needs help," Schwirzinski said. "I feel like I have the means to do this and I think it would be wrong for me not to do it when I'm perfectly capable of helping out a family."
Now with the help of Schwirzinski and Toledo Helps Ukraine, the Bova family is safe.
"We are from Zaporizhia, near a small town by the gray zone," Victor Bova said. "And it's near the border where there is the fight and there are bombs every day."
The family left behind their dog and much of their family. But there's hope for what's next.
"We would like to go to the apartment and meet with our host family and after that, our plan is to maybe find some work," Bova said.
Toledo Helps Ukraine has independently secured 15 sponsors and brought 33 refugees to Ohio. Schwirzinski said the organization made the process simple.
"It feels really good. Everybody's been in a spot where they are kind of stuck and can't really help themselves," Schwirzinski said. "So it's good to be on the other end of that just help somebody when they are in a bad situation."
Toledo Helps Ukraine helps the refugees find resources including medical food benefits and job placement opportunities.
If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring a family, you can find more information at 4UA / For Ukraine