‘Inspired’ Florida woman sponsors Ukrainian refugees
- The U.S. has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees
- Elizabeth Langland decided to sponsor a family after seeing the devastation
- Langland says the challenges were huge but the family is doing well now
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(NewsNation) — A Florida woman is sponsoring a Ukrainian family seeking safety and refuge from the ongoing violence in the country.
Elizabeth Langland of St. Augustine, Florida, joined “NewsNation Live,” saying watching coverage of the devastation in Ukraine inspired her to become a sponsor.
“I was really moved and inspired, and I was really looking for a way to get involved and trying to figure out what I could do. I discovered welcome.us, a wonderful site that talked to me about the potential of sponsorship.”
Langland was able to connect with the family, two sisters with one child each, and support them in building a life in the U.S.
“The logistical challenges are huge, as you understand. We had to find them an apartment, we had to enroll the children in school, we had to enroll the family for benefits and for employment affirmation,” Langland said. “Both women of course are now employed, very happily and very successfully. And so they themselves have risen to this challenge in an enormous way.”
Langland also added she has received support from the community, saying people “leapt forward” to lend a hand to support the family.
The two sisters left behind husbands in Ukraine, with one of them also leaving behind her oldest son. The men, who are part of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Force, are in constant communication with their family, according to Langland.
The U.S. has welcomed more than 270,000 Ukrainian refugees through different programs since the war began more than a year ago,
“They love it here. They found it such a wonderful respite from all of the trauma they had endured before, and that included the children. The parents said when they arrived they forgot what the children looked like happy,” Langland said.
