Wenonah Galusha and her family are making a difference for Ukrainian soldiers and families by sending supply packages and offering friendship to those who need it the most.
They have provided soldiers with 17 large boxes containing items like clothing, boots and handwritten cards.
Galusha, of Yelm, said she’s a pug breeder, and met an individual from Kyiv, Ukraine, through her endeavors. The two began to bond online and later a friendship was born.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Galusha said she received a message from this individual, which stated “hell is here.” After several days of no contact, Galusha received another message stating “hell is at my door.”
Her friend then informed Galusha the Russian military was beginning to bomb Ukraine, including at airports and bridges throughout the country.
“At first, we were just going back and forth messaging,” Galusha said. “I was getting a lot of pictures that even the news wasn’t getting and it’s pretty horrid.”
As the war continued to progress, Galusha’s friend informed her about some of the equipment issues Ukrainian soldiers face, which includes a lack of clothing and shoes. She said she went to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and sorted through outdated military camos. After the removal of American symbols and patches, they were sent to Ukraine. Aside from camos, Galusha said they have sent a plethora of boots to Ukraine thanks to McChord.
“It’s been hard to do. A part of me felt like I was dressing these men so they could go die somewhere,” Galusha said. “I would sit there at night and ask myself what I’m doing. It’s been very humbling.”
Galusha’s daughter Krysta Austin, and grandchildren Ada Austin (16), Della Austin (12) and Harrison Austin (10), agreed that aiding the soldiers and building personal connections with them has been a humbling experience.
“Hearing about the war through them, firsthand, instead of a news platform, opens your eyes up way more,” Della said. “What we see isn’t censored.”
Her sister Ada said she’s thankful for the relationships and connections she’s made through her family’s efforts, but she also knows the sad reality of war.
“It’s so hard knowing that you could wake up one morning and they might not be on the other side of the phone anymore,” Ada said. “We need to come together and show Ukraine that we care and I believe that’s what we’re doing.”
Their brother Harrison said he simply wants to help the Ukrainian soldiers and make it easier for them to win the war.
“I don’t want them to be going through this anymore,” Harris said. “I want them to be living happy lives like everyone else in the world is.”
The three have continued their efforts for Ukrainian soldiers in a personable way. They were responsible for organizing efforts, which resulted in hundreds of personalized cards for the soldiers.
Ada, who is a student engagement coordinator at Pierce College, said she created an event called “Slava Ukraini.” She said people came in and decorated over 250 cards with personalized notes. Her sister, Della, said she reached out to her school. Della and her classmates made additional cards to send.
Harrison said he had a conversation with his school’s principal and brought up the idea to make cards for soldiers. A few months after their conversation, Harrison’s teacher announced they would also make cards to send overseas.
Their mother, Krysta, said the cards are viewed as a great gesture by Ukrainian soldiers.
“There were at least 300 cards sent and they each sat down and read every single one before they gave them to another soldier. Not only does this mission affect us, it affects them. It’s their healing,” Krysta said. “My kids went crazy and made a bunch of cards. These cards were one of the most cherished things that we sent. They took tape and laminated our cards, and carried them into the battlefield.”
Krysta called the connection with Ukraine and her family amazing. Once her daughters connected with Ukrainian girls their age, Krysta said they found out they have a lot more in common than they thought.
She said the war has put her and her children’s lives into perspective.
“There’s so much going on at home and it’s very overwhelming what’s going on at home. But when we sit and reflect on what they’re going through, this is nothing. It’s made us a lot more grateful for what we have at home and allowed us to see the world in a different way,” Krysta said. “We’ve never met them other than through the internet, but what it’s done for them and done for my kids is irreplaceable, and we just want to offer that to the community. There is so much love and appreciation on the other side of this that I would love for other people to experience what my kids are experiencing.”
Ada added it’s human nature to need someone to talk to about everyday struggles in life. She’s more than happy to be a friend her Ukrainian companions can lean on.
“I like helping people in the community and showing people they have the support that they don’t typically have. We’re all human, and we all deserve someone that stands up and says, ‘I care and I’m there for you,’” Ada said. “Hearing stuff from our friends in Ukraine just opened my eyes and that’s when we wanted to find out what we could do. You feel empathy for them. We see and feel the fear and the pain they live in. They need somebody on the other side.”
Krysta added the family has tried to raise money for their cause through GoFundMe, but has run into some issues with the website. She said they’ve attempted yard sales, but the rain put a damper on those. They’ve also tried selling items online, but Krysta said those efforts fell out from underneath them.
“It would be nice to get some guidance. Any organization that would help us tax-wise, or help us with donations. We don’t understand the process and we got so frustrated with it and said, ‘we’d do it ourself,’” Krysta said. “But we’ve reached the point where we can’t keep going (or) doing it without some assistance.”
Those interested in contacting Galusha to donate clothing items, or to learn more about their efforts, can email twofeathersranch@gmail.com.
