Gray, the aptly named miniature Schnauzer, can size up a human instantly. Thanks to that intuition, the Sviatyi family, Andrii, Mariia and their children, have a fresh start, far away from the ravages of war.
It started with a dog walk and a chance meeting before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a few years ago. Gray instantly hit it off with another dog, and the respective humans did, too.
Life changed amazingly fast. But as the war continued, Andrii and Mariia stayed in touch with the friends Gray had introduced them to, Mykola and Olena Vyshyvanyuk. And when they talked, the Vyshyvanyuks told them of their own fresh start in a faraway land. Doing More Today documented their story in a 2023 article.
“Mykola told us about all these great things about living in Alabama,” Andrii said. “How great the schools were and how much the kids loved it there.” And then adding, as an afterthought others might take for granted, “and how safe it was.”
Getting here would take patience and a lot of help. But, thanks to a team of determined Regions associates and members of the community, Andrii, Mariia and their two children have relocated to Birmingham, as well.
Mykola told us about all these great things about living in Alabama. How great the schools were and how much the kids loved it there. Andrii Sviatyi
On a Sunday afternoon, there’s chaos in the kitchen as Mariia, daughter Anna Mariia and son Roman join their host family making pastries and banana bread. Andrii watches the action with bemusement. There’s music playing in the background, laughter in the air and the intoxicating smells of the meal they are preparing.
Mariia smiles wistfully as the scene unfolds. They arrived two months ago, but there are times where she still has to pinch herself.
“Here, we sleep through the night,” she said. “Back home, the kids were afraid. Every night you’d hear the sirens and noise. You’d have to gather everyone up and go to the shelter for safety. Then you’d go to school, the sirens would go off, and you’d have to go to the shelter again.
“Now, even school here feels like a vacation. Just seeing how happy and calm they are getting off the bus … I couldn’t have imagined that just a short while ago.”
Getting here required sponsorship and documents. It also required leaving everything they knew behind to start from scratch in a new country. The Sviatyi family, with the help of their new community, have to figure out schools, employment, transportation and independent residence.
It required sponsors and two years of household funds, plus jobs, cars and schools.
Irina Pritchett and Kate Laminack, Organizational Change Management leaders for Operational Excellence and Risk Compliance, respectively, once again began raising money and making arrangements. They also stepped in to help the Vyshyvanyuks. When Andrii and Mariia were suddenly approved with just two weeks to make the move from Europe to the U.S., Pritchett opened her home to the newcomers until an apartment could be arranged.
“We were determined to make this happen,” Laminack said. “So, we galvanized a team at Olena’s request. This time was tougher, yet the people we knew and reached out to proved to be very generous.”
Olena, now working as a case manager for the refugee resettlement agency, Inspiritus, helped expedite the paperwork.
We were determined to make this happen. So, we galvanized a team at Olena’s request. This time was tougher, yet the people we knew and reached out to proved to be very generous.Kate Laminack, Organizational Change Management leader for Operational Excellence and Risk
Before their move was approved, Andrii had already been in Italy for a year, where he had gone for work. A business logistics manager back home, Adrii transitioned to construction because that’s where opportunities were. With the help of community and Inspiritus, Andrii and Mariia are working hard to make ends meet. They are both looking for sustainable opportunities to transfer their skills to the local workforce.
The initial separation was hard, especially for Andrii. Back home, Mariia was hoping for the best but preparing to remain.
“One day, we learned our application was declined. Then the next day we got bus tickets to go to Italy,” she said.
But before she and the kids could settle in Rome, there was more news: a second submission of the application had been approved. Alabama would, indeed, be their new home.
“America is truly the land of opportunity,” Andrii said.
And it’s different.
“Here, you have big roads and big cars,” he said with a smile. “But very good roads.”
The move made, the family settled in a home with complete strangers – and instantly bonded with their hosts before getting an apartment of their own. They’ve also reunited with the Vyshyvanyuks and made fast friends with their Regions co-sponsors.
And they’ve discovered a world truly connected.
Everyone says hello. I’ve made new friends, and the children have made new friends. Sometimes, I can’t believe this really happened. Mariia Sviatyi
“The first week they were here, Mariia and I were walking in the neighborhood when we saw a Ukrainian flag flying at a neighbor’s house,” said Pritchett, Regions’ Operational Excellence Organizational Change Management lead.
Curiosity led to a knock on the door, which led Mariia to discover another Ukrainian family that arrived a decade earlier under much different circumstances.
There are adjustments to be made. But the children love the schools and their new classmates. Andrii loves his job opportunities but is still looking for full-time work. Mariia is getting the new home settled. But she’ll arise in the middle of the night for text conversations with family back home and realizes that while they are safe others she loves are still in peril.
“I’ll wake up and read the news,” Mariia said. “Sometimes, I know more about what’s going on back home than my parents. I talked to my mother the other day. ‘Mom, are you OK? I heard one of the buildings near you was destroyed.’ That was news to her. They are trying to live in the moment.”
For Pritchett and Laminack, getting the family here was even more difficult than when they were part of a team sponsoring the Vyshyvanyuks two years ago.
“It’s been two long years,” Laminack said, “and the need to help wasn’t as fresh in everyone’s mind this time. Yet people stepped up again and were very generous.”
Thanks to that generosity, Andrii, Mariia and their children are preparing for their first American holiday season. They’ve also settled into routine, watching college football on Saturdays as the kids wear some of the new clothes they’ve been given signifying allegiance to the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama.
All it takes is a village and a desire to be the change you want to see. Help comes in many forms, big and small. Kate Laminack
“Everything has been an awesome experience,” Pritchett said. “We went to the ‘Rocky Horror Picture (interactive) Experience’ a few weeks ago.’”
“I thought, ‘Where am I?’” Mariia admitted “What have I gotten myself into? But we loved every minute.”
A new home for the holidays. A fresh start. A safer life. It’s an adjustment they don’t regret.
“Everyone here is friendly,” Mariia said. “Everyone says hello. I’ve made new friends, and the children have made new friends. Sometimes, I can’t believe this really happened.”
With a world in turmoil, the needs for help will continue. Thankfully, there are good people who are willing to help.
“We’re not unique,” Laminack said. “Anyone can step up. Yes, the needs are great, but the ways to help are numerous. All it takes is a village and a desire to be the change you want to see. Help comes in many forms, big and small.”
