Ukrainian Community Center of Washington

Since the full scale war in Ukraine as of February, 2022, Ukrainian Community Center of Washington (UCCW) has seen a great influx of individuals who fled the war in Ukraine and came to Washington State, King County especially. Individuals and their families who fled the most affected territories in Ukraine and lost most of their possessions while escaping to save their lives have been traumatized the most. One such young woman contacted UCCW seeking help and support due to the decline of her mental health state and well-being. As the war began, she was in one of the most affected cities in eastern Ukraine, Mariupol (currently occupied). In her young age, she witnessed a lot of war-related events, death, pain, cold, isolation and spent several weeks in hiding. Eventually, she was able to be rescued and was evacuated to the capital of Ukraine. It was quite a journey for her to finally arrive in Washington State and join her sister who was living here in King County. Here, she encountered additional challenges such as lack of English proficiency, inability to find a job, and still battling daily to forget her traumatic past. While living with her sister, she began experiencing isolation and started becoming more and more withdrawn. During this time, she learned about UCCW and decided to contact our staff hoping to talk to someone about what she was experiencing. UCCW’s staff encouraged her to enroll in their mental health services and support such as one-on-one counseling and support groups. Slowly but surely UCCW’s client has begun making progress and started feeling much better, more confident and is looking forward to studying and making plans. She was able to secure a job and is looking forward to further growth and independence. Overall, she has significantly improved and is grateful for the services and support she received at UCCW.