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 TOO 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 WAITING 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