Ukrainian Refugee Family Relocating After Air Raids

A granddaughter in her 30s and grandparents fled the continual bombing of their village in the Eastern part of Ukraine and took a train to Lviv. Another American volunteer, Lou, and I met the train coming in from the East. An administrator at the station went with us to see if there would be any refugees needing help. Lou had prearranged to meet her so he could give assistance to whomever was needing to relocate.

These three stepped off the train. They huddled together on the platform surrounded by their sixteen bags, the only possessions they could take, leaving the rest behind with their old life. The grandfather speaks to the administrator. She makes a long phone call, trying to find them a place in a refugee center. The women start crying, looking desperate. I do not understand Ukrainian, so was not sure if she was making any progress.

After a long twenty minutes, a man and women came over rolling a cart. Apparently the administrator got them into a settlement. Relief all around. We loaded the bags into a large van. The family got inside and Lou and I sat in the back. A new administrator went with us. The driver started going outside of Lviv. I had no idea how long this trip would be.

On the outskirts of the city I saw the result of the air raid two nights ago. There was a field covered with rubble of bricks and household items. They had been family homes just a short time ago. People had been killed in that air raid. We passed through beautiful villages which looked like movie settings, particularly for period dramas. People were in the fields of the numerous farms. Animals grazed in this peaceful setting. Hard to believe drones flew over this area so recently.

After about two hours, we turned off the main road onto a bumpy one lined with mansions. Then forests with old growth trees took over. The beauty of lush greenery was breathtaking. We went down a tiny lane lined with trees and stopped at the gate. The driver and assistant got out. They spoke with the guard.The gate was opened and we proceeded to the center.

A staff women comes out and checks their passports. The okay is given and all of us get out. We unload the van and take the bags into the community room of the center. The accommodations are three stories with laundry hanging from some of the balconies. They look like a basic motel in a heavenly setting.

The refugees are hugging me. The granddaughter in her late thirties says over and over in her limited English, “My friend” and points to me. We hug some more. Photos are taken. I point out a cat under a nearby tree. The granddaughter instantly relaxes and enthusiastically says “Cat”. That may represent home and she seems to be accepting her relocation. She is beaming when smiling. After kisses on the cheek, Lou and I get into the van with the driver and assistant, During our two hour drive back to Lviv, I was thinking that with the dense tree cover, the refugee center is safer from attack.

I could not cry with them. My job was to offer emotional support. The next morning different emotions flooded my body. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to help these lovely refugees on their journey to starting a new life. I cried. Seeing the recent destruction with my own eyes was jarring. I will never be the same.

I went to Lviv, Ukraine in October, 2025 and volunteered with different organizations. In 2018 I took a river cruise through Ukraine with a friend and connected with the people and country.