Ukrainian couple receives a Niwot welcome

Earlier this month, Valerii Danylenko and Anna Bilous, a professional couple in their 30's from Kiev who were forced to leave Ukraine due to the war, found a place to live in Niwot. "Eight or nine million left Ukraine," said Danylenko. "Our apartment was damaged and unfit to live in because of the Russians. For three days no power, no water, no anything in Kiev."

Before they left, the pair had previously held professional office jobs making airplane meals for a food manufacturer. He served as a food quality supervisor and she as a manager of more than 120 employees. The utility interruptions resulted from Russian bombing campaigns that targeted infrastructure. "Every two weeks, no one could work due to lack of power, water," recalled Dalylenko.

The pair's path from their home country to Niwot started with identifying a financial sponsor that helped them with documents and funding to prepare for the trip. Actual travel took them first to Poland, then briefly to Oslo, Norway, and again, briefly to New York. By the time they reached Denver they hadn't slept well in several days.

After arriving, they stayed with Ukrainian friends in Longmont, but knew they needed their own space elsewhere. An ad they placed in Nextdoor led them to Niwot resident Catherine McCall.

"I've rented my basement apartment off and on for the last ten years," McCall said. "My kids lived in it for a while and left it a mess. I wasn't sure I was going to rent it right away, but then I saw Valerii and Anna's ad in Nextdoor. I had wanted to help those in the Ukraine somehow, and when I saw their post I wanted to step in. The first thing they did was to help me get the apartment into shape."

Danylanko expressed the pair's gratitude. "This beautiful woman with a big heart took us to live with her. I don't know too many words, but I know 'thank you.'"

For her part, McCall has enjoyed getting to know the couple, who have insisted on cooking her dinner nightly and helping to watch McCall's new puppy. Bilous has made potato pancakes and borscht among other things. "I like to cook often. This kitchen is so lovely," she said.

The pair has already made some memories here and are strongly impressed by the friendliness of neighbors here and the welcome they have received. "The second day we were here, we went to the supermarket [Niwot Market]," Danylenko said. "People knew about us. They were so welcoming. So happy to see us."

Community members are also welcoming the couple in other ways. A group of Third Avenue residents organized a welcome basket, including items for everyday use, kitchen gadgets, clothing and gift cards to department stores and a local coffee shop, and even soccer cleats for Danylenko, who loves to play soccer.

At the same time, the pair has also faced challenges, including navigating the challenges of learning English. "Google translate is our favorite," said Danylenko. They are receiving help with their English, in part from one of McCall's neighbors who is Iranian and who has experience teaching English as a second language.

They have also been busy with seemingly endless lists of tasks. They have been setting up their apartment, creating resumes, going to Loveland traveling, TB testing, and working through necessary paperwork. Even obtaining an interview for this article was challenging.

Their search for work has been made more difficult due to their challenges learning English. A few days prior to this article, Danylenko found work at Target, in a role that doesn't require English mastery. "I used to be in an office. Now work is more physical. If I was younger, it might be easier," he said with a smile. Bilious is still looking for any job that would work well for her.

Their attitudes are positive despite the challenges. "There are really nice people. We've had a great welcome from strangers. They've invited us for dinner," Danylenko said.

The pair described their homeland's beauty, its farms, cities and universities. They hope to return to family who are still there when the war ends. One thing McCall knows is that if or when they do return, people here will miss them. "I think when the war ends and they go back to live in Kiev, there will be a lot of people from Niwot going to visit," she said.