In response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, a group of Ukrainian volunteers from San Diego offered support to evacuees in a unique and heartfelt way.
This week, the Ukrainian volunteers from San Diego joined forces with the Ukrainian community in Los Angeles to set up tents and serve meals to evacuees.
“A few of us from San Diego drove out there with all this borscht and chebureki and together with the LA volunteers, we fed over what, 1,600 people — maybe more,” said Mira Rubin, the president of Shield of Freedom and former president of the House of Ukraine in Balboa Park.
She says the House of Ukraine donated much of the food, enabling the volunteers to provide conversation and comfort to those displaced by the fires.
For many in the Ukrainian community, helping others in times of devastation resonates deeply.
“Because we are going through this, we really feel what it means to lose your home,” Rubin shared.
Marta Skalska, a Ukrainian refugee who arrived in the U.S. just four months ago, expressed pride in the effort: “I am so proud that Ukrainians organized this amazing picnic.”
The kind gesture comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just announced on X that 150 Ukrainian firefighters are ready to be deployed to help combat wildfires in the state.
“Ukrainian firefighters really know how to fight fires,” Rubin said, emphasizing her community’s eagerness to assist wherever needed.
For the volunteers, this effort was also about reciprocating the kindness they’ve received.
“Americans have been giving to Ukraine so much for the last three years,” Rubin said. “This was our opportunity to give back.”
Stay with ABC 10News for ongoing coverage of the LA wildfires and the relief efforts helping those impacted.
