Since Russia’s warfare towards Ukraine started in late February, there at the moment are greater than six million Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe. About seven million are displaced internally, and 13 million extra are unable to flee contested areas, in line with an Aug. 24 New York Occasions report. About 9,000 Ukrainian and as much as 25,000 Russian troopers are estimated to have died, and 5,587 Ukrainian civilians have been confirmed lifeless, although the NYT report notes the true quantity could possibly be within the tens of 1000’s. 

The battle has been expensive not solely when it comes to territory and the injury to Ukraine’s economic system, however has additionally impacted meals, gasoline and medical provide markets at a world degree. 

Service initiatives chair Randy Wells defined that the district degree of Rotary awarded the Dawson County chapter with a several-thousand-dollar grant, as derived from a Ukraine catastrophe reduction fund, to cowl the price of the automobile. 

Lantukh mentioned that the automobile will assist at the least one refugee household now as they get established within the space. When that household settles down and is ready to purchase their very own automobile, the church will take the automobile to a upkeep store to be checked. Then, the automobile will probably be gifted to a different refugee household who can’t but purchase insurance coverage and so forth, till the warfare ends and the cycle doesn’t need to proceed.

Rotary Membership of Dawson County President Nicole Stewart thanked fellow chapter members, the automobile dealership and the Rotary district for all of their efforts to assist the donation occur. 

“We’re simply so pleased and blessed that we might assist y’all,” Stewart mentioned to New Life Church leaders. 

Previous to pastoring the church, the 2 pastors in attendance have been themselves refugees. 

Lantukh left Ukraine together with his household greater than 20 years in the past, and equally, Gerasimov got here to america in 1998 together with his spouse and toddler daughter. 

Along with his function as an affiliate pastor, Gerasimov works as an engineer, owns two bakeries and serves as a chaplain for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Workplace.

Rotary Vice President and Household of Rotary chair Seanie Zappendorf defined that she met Gerasimov by one in every of his bakeries and related over each of them being immigrants and neighborhood servants. 

Again in 2020, Zappendorf and Gerasimov coordinated internet hosting a bunch of Ukrainian diplomats who have been places of work and chaplain’s at Dawsonville’s Atlanta Motorsports Park and her store, Discovery Elements. Since that point, Gerasimov has additionally spoken at a Dawson County Republican Occasion assembly speaking concerning the wants of Ukrainian refugees and his private refugee expertise. 

Zappendorft not too long ago contacted the affiliate pastor to ask how the Dawson County chapter might assist Ukrainians.

“Aleks informed me concerning the refugees that his church is sponsoring and so they positively want quick help,” she mentioned to DCN. “Our neighborhood chair, Randy Wells, adopted up and acquired one want after one other met.” 

Wells, who works as a pilot with Delta, helped the chapter safe eight one-way tickets for a Ukrainian household to return to the U.S. in August. 

Rotary member Dr. Larry Anderson with Anderson Household Medication has helped present medical providers to a number of the refugees that New Life Church helps. 

The Slavic church started contributing to refugee reduction efforts within the spring, as reported in a Forsyth County Information article from March 2022.

Since these efforts started, they’ve helped about 100 folks, mentioned Lantukh.

Native help consists of serving to households with duties like submitting paperwork, together with work permits and discovering them housing and furnishings. There’s additionally a Ok-12 college on New Life Church’s campus which serves many Japanese European households.

The church has arrange GoFundMe and GiveSendGo campaigns to help volunteer and refugee reduction efforts. 

Moreover, the church is accumulating donations of clothes, family items and associated objects for refugees who’re dwelling in Europe or coming to the Atlanta space.