Announcement
Katya Galytska, Ukrainian Caseworker, addresses the group.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
On Saturday, May 27, the IRC in Atlanta hosted an informational, in-language workshop for Ukrainian refugees—currently with humanitarian parole status—to learn more about available programs and services at the IRC. Led by Ukrainian Caseworker, Katya Galytska, and with live interpretation provided by Ukrainian Case Aide, Alina Linchevska, the workshop brought around 50 new Ukrainian neighbors—including many families with small children—to the IRC in Atlanta office for coffee and breakfast, socializing and networking, and opportunities to engage with and ask questions of expert staff from across our programs—including Resettlement, Extended Case Management, Mental Health, Youth, Adult Education, and Economic Empowerment.
Sometimes war opens the worst qualities in people, but very often in that period we saw people's best qualities and people supporting each other.
—Katya Galytska, Caseworker
Katya Galytska, Ukrainian Caseworker, addresses the group.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
IRC Caseworker, Katya, fled the war in Ukraine herself last spring along with her teenage son, and they were some of the very first Ukrainians to arrive in Atlanta. A financial professional in her homeland, Katya and her son fled Kyiv, Ukraine in the first few weeks of the war, first heading to Bucharest, Romania, where they were able to catch a flight to Istanbul, Türkiye, and then on to Atlanta. Many people helped them along their journey to escape, “Sometimes war opens the worst qualities in people, but very often in that period we saw people's best qualities and people supporting each other,” Katya shared. When asked, ‘Why Atlanta?’, she shared that she has a close friend living in Alpharetta and that she had visited the city before in 2012 and 2017. “I visited the U.S. six or seven times before we came here (…) Of course, tourism and immigration are very different! But I have experience of being here.”
With gratitude for the sponsorship and initial support of her friend, Katya has now secured her own apartment and is working hard to build a life for herself and her son in Atlanta. Her Caseworker role at the IRC makes her a prominent figure in the new Ukrainian community here, and she is proud to use her connections to help others find stability in Georgia.
We are focusing on good jobs, we are starting our separate independent lives, we have to use these two years, at least, for creating and building our life here.
—Katya Galytska, Caseworker
IRC Atlanta Youth staff share information about their programs with live Ukrainian interpretation.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
Many Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, like Katya, have now left the homes of their sponsors and found their own apartments, children are enrolled in local schools across the metro area, and adults are improving their English language skills and securing jobs—none of which has been easy, especially for the many women here alone with their children. Katya is committed to helping others to succeed in the U.S. and encouraging self-sufficiency, “Even now, these people are so stressed, and at the same time, they are adults, and they are responsible for their life, and they have to make their own decisions, their own choices, their own steps, their own way,” she shared. “We are focusing on good jobs, we are starting our separate independent lives, we have to use these two years, at least, for creating and building our life here.”
Here, now, most of the Ukrainian people they are so open to each other (…) because they are looking for and making that environment. They are looking to fill all these empty spaces in their life, to find new friends, to find new community.
—Katya Galytska, Caseworker
Casework Supervisor Naser Mohdzaher shares information about Resettlement services with live Ukrainian interpretation.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
Since the May workshop, she has partnered with the IRC in Atlanta’s Financial Capability team to coordinate financial information workshops for Ukrainians—with interpretation—covering credit scores, banking, and other pressing questions. She is also collaborating with IRC’s Career Development program to help her clients to pursue Commercial Driving Licenses (CDL) to open up opportunities for careers in the in-demand trucking industry, “Because almost every third man is asking for help with this! My dream is to organize a Ukrainian CDL group because some of the guys have very good English, some not so much (…) but if they got together, they could help each other and create good connections.”
Adult Education Supervisor Chris Carpenter shares information about his program with live Ukrainian interpretation.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
“We did not lose only our apartment, our job, our car, or some material things. We lost all this environment, all our space, even neighbors,” Katya shared. “Here, now, most of the Ukrainian people they are so open to each other (…) because they are looking for and making that environment. They are looking to fill all these empty spaces in their life, to find new friends, to find new community. But at the same time, they are thinking about how to be a part of the American community (…) to be in America between Americans, to understand local life, to understand the language.” Once a professional rower in Ukraine, Katya has recently connected with a local rowing club here in Atlanta and looks forward to continuing several of her hobbies and passions—including foraging for wild mushrooms—in her new home.
“The in-language Ukrainian Workshop was a huge success and a new model for community engagement for the IRC in Atlanta,” shared Deputy Director of Resettlement Programs, Dr. Omar Aziz. “We look forward to expanding this approach to other ethnic communities and language groups. Not only do these types of events allow us to connect staff and clients face-to-face to share information, it’s also an opportunity to bring communities together and form new networks and social connections, which helps to promote self-sufficiency and resiliency while reestablishing themselves in their new homes.”
If you are a Ukrainian humanitarian parolee or sponsor looking for more information on available services at the IRC in Atlanta, please contact Caseworker, Katya Galytska, at [email protected], and Casework Supervisor, Naser Mohdzaher, at [email protected].
To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Development Director, Heloise Ahoure, at [email protected] or 678-636-8941.
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