An Olathe woman who fled Ukraine is raising money for those under fire by Russian troops
From the comfort of her house in Olathe, Iryna Yeromenko listened in horror as family and friends spoke of the bombs ravaging her hometown in eastern Ukraine.
She knew she had to do something. Just eight years prior, she was in Ukraine dodging Russian bombs and gunfire.
Yeromenko, 41, fled her hometown with her husband and 10-year-old son following an invasion by Russian troops in 2014. Having received political asylum, she’s raising money for those now fighting.
“My in-laws, my cousins, my uncles … they haven’t known a single day without shelling. For eight years,” Yeromenko said.
On March 7, Yeromenko posted a plea on social media, asking community members in Kansas City and beyond to help send resources to her homeland.
Since then, she has raised several thousands of dollars for bulletproof vests and food.
“It just blew up, so many people were donating … I honestly didn’t even anticipate such support and I’m really grateful.”
Fleeing home in Ukraine
Yeromenko was born and raised in Donetsk, a city of nearly 900,000 in eastern Ukraine.
She owned an English language school that shared a building with the British embassy. Forming close ties with U.S and European diplomats, Yeromenko’s school became a spot for people around the world to volunteer, including many from the Peace Corps.
But in 2014, her position made her a threat to Russian forces, who invaded the city.
Yeromenko, then 34, her husband and 10-year-old son were targeted by Russian soldiers for their ties to Western diplomats and teaching English.
“They started bombing the airport, doing airstrikes, bringing tanks, planes, military jets,” Yeromenko said.
“When you witness war ... it’s a combination of indescribable fear of losing your dear ones, losing your life, immediate danger, horror, what’s going to happen in the future… It was like a movie.”
The family packed a single suitcase and fled the country. With a U.S visa in tow, they took one of the last trains out of the city and escaped as the tracks were being destroyed by mortar shells.
They arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, to live with one of the language school’s former Peace Corps volunteers, but expected the arrangement to be temporary.
For two years, the family lived with their friend as they applied for political asylum in the U.S.
In 2016, they moved into their home in Olathe and the following year they were granted asylum and a green card.
‘It’s literally all about surviving’
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, tanks were being driven through Yeromenko’s city of Donetsk once again. This time she was watching from afar, reliving the fear through pictures and voice calls with parents, aunts and uncles.
“They’re going through this for the second time,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking and it’s devastating.”
Yeromenko sprung into action, connecting friends with bus rides out of heavily populated cities and helping loved ones find shelters from airstrikes in their area.
Many of her friends were fighting in military brigades defending Ukrainian cities.
Artyom Semenyuk, who provides medical support to the brigades, told Yeromenko that the group was running low on bulletproof vests.
In a message translated by Yeromenko, he said:
“Can you help us get bulletproof vests? Look at this one. The bullet went through almost the entire plate, but it saved my friend’s life.”
She tried to buy a vest in the U.S and mail it to Semenyuk in February, but wasn’t able to because he didn’t have an address as he supported the brigade. Wiring money also proved difficult. She found a money transfer app and started sending her own funds and then reached out to Kansas City community members who expressed interest in helping.
On March 7, she took to Facebook to see if anyone wanted to donate money for vests and other resources. The reception was shocking, Yeromenko said.
In about ten days, Yeromenko had raised several thousand dollars. The money has been used to build 16 bulletproof vests so far. And on Thursday, $500 of the donations was used to bring food to a maternity ward in a “hotspot” for Russian shelling, she said.
Going forward, she’s looking to send money for radios, since wireless connection has been difficult to come by for many she’s spoken with in Ukraine.
Yeromenko said she does not have a fundraising goal because there appears to be no end in sight.
“Even if the war finishes tomorrow, there will be so much help and support needed through the years,” Yeromenko said.
“Now, it’s literally all about surviving.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 11:34 AM.
