Housing Ukrainian refugees was a no brainer for New Zealander Jared Mitchell, his wife and brother living in Bulgaria.听听听
The Dunedin man and his American wife live about 50听kilometres听from the capital Sofia where Kiwi brother Michael Mitchell lives.听听听
More than three million听refugees听have fled听Ukraine since Russia鈥檚 invasion began on February 24.听听听
Mitchell has cycled the world twice, often being hosted by people around the globe and听their house听has听always been open to听travellers听鈥 so they didn鈥檛 think twice about taking in refugees.听听听
Wife Katie Eichten has been managing and responding to many requests for help coming through email and Facebook groups.听听听
The couple is听currently housing a family of six.听听听
This includes 51-year-old mother Natalia听who went through Chernobyl, survived Covid-19 in 2020 after a month in intensive care听and has now fled her family home in Kyiv, where she has lived for her whole life.听听
With her are听26-year-old daughter Anastasia, her听three-and-a-half-year-old Kira and four-month-old Kiril, and her sisters Polina aged 14 and Christina aged 12.听听听
The family slept in a bunker for 10 days straight before deciding to leave.听听听
The couple are working with an emergency centre supporting refugees. (Photo / Supplied)
It was a three-day journey to Bulgaria.听听听
They first took transport with friends to the border and caught bus after bus with no clue where they were going or where they would sleep until they ended up in Sofia.听听听
A man Mitchell knows contacted him and his wife asking if they could take them in.听听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 the least we could do, I have a couple of extra rooms I love visitors, if we can keep them safe that鈥檚 the most important thing to us.鈥澨听
It鈥檚 the quieter times when they can reflect听that are harder for the family, Mitchell said.听听
鈥淭he hardest part is seeing their newsfeeds and their friends posting, [Anastasia] showed a picture of her friend's house that听got听shelled while she was in it, thankfully听she survived.鈥澨听
Men aged between 18 and 60 can鈥檛 leave Ukraine and Anastasia is in frequent contact with her husband still in Ukraine.听听
The family are supporting local听organisations听- including one set up by 10 women which is operating an emergency support听centre听and sending supplies back to Ukraine.听听听
Mitchell has set up a to raise funds for refugees and other Bulgarians who have the room but not the funds to house refugees.听 听
More than $8000 has been raised so far.听 听
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeartRadio app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeartRadio is easy to use and all FREE
