Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley focuses on helping Ukrainian refugees become self-sufficient here
By Scott Bandoroff
The humans impacted by the war in Ukraine are rightfully at the center of current news cycles. Many citizens in the Rogue Valley may not understand just how many Ukrainian refugees are here in our own community.
Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley (U4URV) is a local nonprofit organization focusing on helping Ukrainian refugees become self-sufficient here. We assist 24 Ukrainian refugee families with nearly 70 members who fled Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. U4URV was active in helping many of these families to travel here. These Ukrainians all live, work, go to school, pay taxes, and interact here in the Rogue Valley.
Two separate local organizations are working to help Ukrainians: Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley (U4URV) and the Ashland Sviatohirs’k Aid Project (ASAP). Although we support each other’s missions, we are not affiliated.
ASAP focuses on helping Ashland’s sister city of Sviatohirsk. Money donated to ASAP goes to Ukraine to help the town of Sviatohirsk.
U4URV focuses on Ukrainian refugees living here in Southern Oregon. Money donated to U4URV stays here to help our Ukrainian friends here.
Since our inception in 2023, U4URV has provided nearly $175,000 in support of our Ukrainian friends in this local area. Amazingly, 100% of our funds are from our incredibly generous local community members and organizations!
Additionally, we have had kind supporters in the community who provide low-cost or no-cost housing for refugee families and individuals.
U4URV continues to help our local Ukrainian friends become self-sufficient by focusing on critical needs, including:
- English as a Second Language
- Finding and securing employment
- Navigating the medical services system
- Locating affordable housing
- Finding appropriate legal services to support visa procurement
We appreciate our community’s desire to support Ukrainians. ASAP and U4URV provide two very different opportunities to do so: Ukrainian families here in Southern Oregon (U4URV), and Sviatohirsk in Ukraine (ASAP).
U4URV welcomes contacts and donations via our website: UnitingForUkraineRV.org.
Scott Bandoroff, president of Uniting for Ukraine Rogue Valley, wrote this on behalf of the U4URV board of directors.
