Ukrainians stay back, help refugees flee the country

CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Oleg Yakubiv is one of many Ukrainians putting their own lives on the line to help their neighbors, friends and countrymen.

Yakubiv, who lives in Lviv, is working with a local church to help people escape Ukraine to places including Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. He said what once served as a gathering spot for sermons now serves as a place for refugees.

“There’s a lot of work going on, and I can see that a lot of Ukrainians have united to get this work done together. So, from what I can tell, Ukraine will not be the same after this will end, and the world will not be the same as well,” Yakubiv said.

Yakubiv said many churches have banded together to help provide food, shelter and safety to Ukrainians. Aside from basic necessities, they’re also offering other resources.

“We have a lot of our resources; financial resources are now going to support those people because a lot of them are coming just with minimal luggage. They have not much food. Some of them stay here in Lviv. Some of them keep going to some Western countries,” Yakubiv explained.

Yakubiv said volunteers who are helping to fund expenses needed to help refugees.

“I’m working in IT and as far as I can keep working, being in my home and I know that part of my salary will go to help people who are not able to work currently who will need those finances. In our company, we understand that for sure,” Yakubiv said. “That’s really pretty impressing, to me, that people are ready to help with just whatever they have.”