% INDEPENDENT AND THOUGHTFUL.
% >> Frederica: REPORTING FROM
% MADISON, FOR "HERE & NOW".
% >> Frederica: UKRAINE HAS BEEN
% INVADED FORCING MANY TO ABANDON
% THEIR HOMES AND WE HAVE A STORY
% HOW UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN
% WISCONSIN AND GROUPS HELPING
% THEM ARE HELPING THEM OVERCOME
% CHALLENGE.
% >> WE WENT TO BED AT 4:30, 5:00.
% WE HEARD AN INCREDIBLE
% EXPLOSION.
% >> ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE
% INVASION LAST FEBRUARY, PETER
% POROSHKOV AND HIS WIFE WERE
% SHAKEN.
% >> IT STARTED BUMPING.
% >> WITH RUSSIAN TROOPS CLOSING
% IN ON THEIR HOME NE -- KIEV THE
% DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR DAUGHTERS
% AND LEAVE UKRAINE AND LEAVE.
% >> WE HAD TO LEAVE.
% IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE HAD
% TO LEAVE OUR DOG.
% WE HAVE A GERMAN SHEPHERD.
% >> EVEN AS WAR ERUPTED AROUND
% THEM KSENIA REMEMBERS BEING IN
% DISBELIEF.
% >> FROM ONE POINT YOU CAN'T
% BELIEVE IT THEN YOU'RE RACING TO
% DO SOMETHING.
% >> TRAVELLING THROUGH ROMANIA
% AND POLAND THEN FURTHER INTO
% EUROPE TOOK THE SOKOR FAMILY OF
% FIVE ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THEY
% EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO MEXICO.
% AFTER CROSSING THE BORDER THEY
% WERE INVITED TO STAY WITH A
% FAMILY HERE IN WISCONSIN.
% EVENTUALLY SECURING THEIR OWN
% APARTMENT IN STOUGHTON THE STORY
% OF TRAVEL AND UNCERTAIN DEGREE
% DESTINATIONS.%>> THEY HAD TO
O LEARN A NEW LACK
% WATH.
% FOR RECENT REFUGEES LIKE THE
% POROSHKOV FAMILY OF FOUR MANY
% GROUPS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO
% HELP.
% >> WE HAVE ENGLISH CLASSES ON
% TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS IN THE
% EVENING AND HAVE A LOT OF
% VOLUNTEERS AND DIFFERENT
% TEACHERS WHO WE DON'T UNDERSTAND
% ANYTHING BUT THEY ARE FRIENDLY
% AND EXPLAIN A LOT.
% >> ONE OF THE GROUPS HELPING THE
% REFUGEES IS THE ASSISTANCE
% PROGRAM.%THEY HELPED ALMOST A
DOZEN
% UKRAINIAN FAMILIES WHO MOVED TO
% THE AREA IN THE LAST YEAR.
% THE VOLUNTEERS HELP HE REFUGEES
% APPLY FOR JOBS SOCIAL SECURITY
% JOBS AND DRIVER'S LICENSES AND
% HEALTH CARE.
% >> IT'S BECOME VERY OVERWHELMING
% AT TIMES BUT THE PAYOFF IS THE
% FACT THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE
% NOW WHO WE CONSIDER FAMILY.
% >> BECAUSE MANY OF THE REFUGEE
% FAMILIES CAME HERE WITH NOTHING,
% THEY ALSO RELY ON OTHER
% COMMUNITY GROUPS SUCH AS FOOD
% PANTRIES AND CLOTHING BANKS BUT
% THE FAMILIES STILL STRUGGLE WITH
% THE EMOTIONAL STRESS OF LEAVING
% LOVED ONES IN THEIR WAR-TORN
% HOMELAND.%>> I CAN'T SLEEP.
% I HAVE BAD DREAMS ABOUT MY
% FAMILY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAR.
% >> WE DID NOT EXPECT IT WOULD BE
% HARD FOR THE YOUNGEST BECAUSE
% FOR YOUNG KIDS IT'S MORE SIMPLE
% TO GET ACCUSTOM.
% BUT SHE WAS CRYING A LOT AND IT
% WAS DIFFICULT FOR US TOO.
% >> HE STAYS UP LATE AT NIGHT TO
% TALK WITH HIS BROTHER AND FATHER
% STILL IN UKRAINE.
% ASIDE FROM THE THREAT OF WAR AND
% VIOLENCE THEY TELL HIM THEIR GAS
% AND ELECTRICITY IS OFTEN NOT
% WORKING.
% >> IT'S NOT EASY TO LIVE THERE
% RIGHT NOW.
% IT'S SAD.
% >> ANOTHER HURDLE FOR REFUGEES
% TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IS A WORK
% PERMIT.
% NATALIA FOUND A WORK AT A LOCAL
% FLORAL SHOP AND IT HAPPENED
% QUICKLY BUT FOR OTHERS LIKE
% PETER SOKOR THERE COULD BE
% COMPLICATION.%>> WHILE WAITI
NG FOR THE WORK
% AUTHORIZATION I DECIDED TO TAKE
% COURSES FOR PROGRAMMING ON THE
% SECOND SEMESTER NOW STUDYING.
% AND IT'S HARD.
% BUT NOW I ALSO STARTED GETTING
% PRIVATE LESSONS AS A PIANIST.
% >> WE'RE HELPING WITH EXPENSES
% FOR THEIR FAMILIES UNTIL THEY
% GET ON THEIR FEET BECAUSE THEY
% COME WITH NOTHING.
% >> DONATIONS HAVE ALL BUT DRIED
% UP.
% >> WE HAD TO STOP SPONSORING NEW
% FAMILIES FROM UKRAINE WHICH WAS
% A VERY DIFFICULT CHOICE BECAUSE
% WE HAVE FAMILIES HERE WHO ARE
% ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FAMILY
% MEMBERS TO BE SPONSORED AND
% BROUGHT OVER BUT WE REALLY CAN'T
% SPONSOR MORE PEOPLE UNTIL WE
% RECEIVE MORE DONATIONS.
% THERE IS SOMETHING THEY CALL
% GIVING FATIGUE WHERE IT JUST
% BECOMES A LOT.
% MANY PEOPLE HAVE DONATED SO MUCH
% ANYTHING THEY ALREADY COULD AND
% I THINK THE WAR HAS GONE ON FOR
% A YEAR NOW AND SO AS IT
% CONTINUES I THINK PEOPLE ARE
% LESS AND LESS ABLE TO HELP.
% >> DESPITE THEIR CURRENT
% FINANCIAL STRUGGLES, THE
% RESETTLEMENT GROUP KNOWS THEIR
% EFFORTS ARE WORTH IT TO THE
% FAMILIES.
% >> THEY'RE AMAZING FAMILIES WE
% HAVE HERE.
% THE KIDS, THE PARENTS THEY COME
% FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND
% ALL WALKS OF LIFE BUT IN THE
% ENDS THEY'RE JUST PEOPLE WHO
% WANT A SAFE PLACE TO RAISE THEIR
% FAMILY AND TO EXIST AND TO
% THRIVE.
% >> AND THE FAMILIES RECEIVING
% THE HELP SAY THEY'RE ETERNALLY
% GRATEFUL.
% >> THIS GROUP IS INCREDIBLE FOR
% US.
% I WOULD SAY THIS IS JUST HOW WE
% MET THEM.
% THEY HELPED US TO RENT THIS
% APARTMENT AND WHEN WE CAME THEY
% JUST PREPARED EVERYTHING FOR THE
% GIRLS ESPECIALLY.
% THEY'RE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE.
% IT'S WHY WE'RE SO IMPRESSED BY
% AMERICANS.%>> FOR "HERE & NOW
" I'M STEVEN
% POTTER IN STOUGHTON.
% >> Frederica: FOR THIS AND OTHER