For Tanya Pidhurska, a native of Ukraine, now living in Platte City, it has been devastating to watch what her family and friends are going through as Russia continues its assault on their democracy.
She knew her feelings of helplessness were not going to change the suffering, so she decided to do whatever she could to help. She made it her goal to raise money for her fellow Ukrainians by hosting a charity garage sale at her home in Platte City, March 27.
“What is currently happening in Ukraine is really horrible and it’s like being part of a disaster movie where there’s constant fear and suffering with no end in sight,” Pidhurska said. “But instead of just simply crying and praying every day, I decided to cry, pray and do something about it. God gave me the opportunity to live and enjoy a healthy and peaceful life in America so my conscience couldn’t ignore the fact that the entire population of my native Ukraine needed every form of support that the world can give them. Fortunately, I was not alone with the desire to help – my colleagues and friends from the Hillcrest Thrift Shop – Platte City, selflessly offered their services to assist me in my quest.”
Her husband is a U.S. Army officer and she first came to the U.S. in November, 2019 and had her first Thanksgiving dinner after she arrived. She has been in the U.S. ever since. But her whole family is still in Ukraine.
“My mom insists that when God decides it’s time for her to go to heaven, she will depart this world because of a heart attack,” Pidhurska said. “And even if a bomb should fall nearby in the future, she believes it will never hit our house. On the other hand, my dad believes that the war will end soon so he must stay to help rebuild Ukraine. Lastly, I have an older sister who lives in another village close to Kyiv and her family also decided to stay so they could assist in supporting government officials.”
She calls her mom and dad every day to check on them. They live in a small city about six miles east of Kyiv, called Borispol.
“Since my city hosts Ukraine’s largest international airport, it is under constant threat from bombing and air attacks so air raid sirens are now a part of daily life there, Pidhurska said. “All able-bodied men in my city have also joined the Ukrainian Army and a lot of them have already paid with their lives so that our country could remain free.”
Her entire family, including most of her cousins and relatives, decided to stay in Ukraine. Several of her friends decided to flee to safer countries like Germany, Poland, and Lithuania to save themselves and their children.
At first, Pidhurska was in denial about what what was happening in her beloved country and even now she still can’t believe that war is really happening in Ukraine.
“They are living in a terrible situation,” Pidhurska said. “I have an uncle and two cousins who spent most of their lives in Siberia. Although we were connected by blood, they stopped communicating with us after Russia illegally annexed Crimea. As my father said, ‘Although Ukraine declared itself independent from Russia, it never considered us as a sovereign nation but a detached part of their empire instead.’”
Seeing the news makes her very anxious and scared. Her friend and colleague, Chrisy takes Pidhurska’s phone away every time she tries to watch a video from the most affected parts of the war in Ukraine, so that she doesn’t get upset.
“It is the best country in the world, and that’s okay to admit because I’m Ukrainian,” Pidhurska said. “Our people are very open and always ready to support each other. Whether it is helping a neighbor with house repairs or assisting a friend during a move, it is never problem. The charity garage sale that was conducted here in Platte City was held inside our house. In Ukraine, this is the norm because our houses are open to everyone, and visiting each other for a cup of tea or coffee is something stronger than the norm. So the terms good, caring, and brave - these are all Ukrainians qualities.”
She was the youngest child in her family and her favorite part of growing up in Ukraine was her childhood.
“As some lucky girls know, it’s great to have an older sister who can be a model for fashionable clothes and then hand them down to you,” Pidhurska said. “They also serve as a good example and this makes you want to grow up as soon as possible. I was also a frisky rogue who preferred to play soccer with the boys despite the constant scraping wounds on my knees. And then there were the embarrassing post-game shenanigans (which I can only now admit) when my friends and I would pluck green plums from a neighbor’s tree when they were not looking.”
While she is still adapting to the American way of life, some things were very surprising for her.
“At first, it was hard for me to believe that Americans don’t eat buckwheat, which is a Ukrainian staple for breakfast. I was also not able to find employment for seven months, and for me this was the most difficult part of the adjustment because I love working. The previous seven years I spent in Ukraine, I was deeply engaged in journalism, and it continues to be my dream. However, being a journalist in America requires a higher level of English that I’m accustomed to. Regardless, I’m very grateful to the Hillcrest Thrift Shop because they gave me the opportunity to be a sales associate, which allowed me to enhance my knowledge of the English language to the level I need to accomplish my dreams.”
Her charity garage sale included a variety of items, such as toys, collectibles, jewelry paintings, ceramic dishes, clothes and decorative figures. Attendees were treated to refreshments which included authentic Ukrainian Roshen candies, a company owned by the previous Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko.
Pidhurska also performed during the garage sale by playing the Ukrainian national instrument, the Bandura.
“This complex 62-stringed instrument is similar to a lute, and I had to practice playing it for five years in order to become proficient,” Pidhurska said. “Additionally, I am also a skilled guitarist and singer-song writer so I played several Ukrainian folk music songs that I personally wrote.”
Her cat, Rose, was also in attendance. Rose also has a unique story. She was abandoned as a kitten in Ukraine. “She was rescued by my loving mother who took her from a tree that she had climbed near our house to hide from barking dogs that were chasing her,” Pidhurska said.
People who attended the garage sale bought items, and many just contributed monetary donations.
“We raised a total of $5,023.50 from the charity garage sale in support of Ukraine,” Pidhurska said. “I sent this amount to the Boryspil Volunteer Center “Victory” on the first Saturday of April. The Boryspil Victory Center assists in taking care of problems of military servicemen and civilians while directing forces to help neighboring cities that have been severely affected by the war such as Bucha or Irpin. To donate money for Ukraine send me a message through Facebook @Tanya Pidhurska. I also sell beautiful handmade brooches (there’s no set price since all proceeds collected are in support of Ukraine). I want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the garage sale. While it is already important for me, it is even more critical for the future of Ukraine.” For Pidhurska, her greatest hope for Ukraine is that the U.S. and Europe who are both actively supporting Ukraine, will impose more sanctions on Russia, because she believes that sooner or later this will cause the country to run out of resources to wage war.
“It’s all in God’s hands now,” Pidhurska said. “We are too beautiful a country to be left standing alone in this immense tragedy. However, I know deep in my heart that Ukraine will emerge victorious in the end!”