Update from the Board of Directors
We want to let you know that we, the Board of Directors of Friends of Ukraine Refugees (FOUR), have concluded that we have accomplished our corporate mission. It is not easy to close a successful charity, but our Ukrainian refugee families are stabilized as best they can be while at the same time the rapid flow of refugees from Ukraine to Central Washington has stopped.
Three and a half years ago, through the full-time efforts of many volunteers, our organization was not only formed, but was instrumental in securing for Chelan, Douglas and Grant County $450,000 of money appropriated by the Washington Legislature to help stabilize refugees from the war in Ukraine. After June 30, 2022, no further state money was available to Central Washington. However, Ukrainian refugees kept coming. Their urgent needs did not go away. We and you, our supporters, rolled up our sleeves and raised an additional $450,000 to fulfill our mission. We have paid for clothes, food, furniture, rent assistance, medical and dental, electronics, bicycles, transportation, newborn baby needs for mothers and infants, and immigration legal services through the Seattle firm Crutcher-Herrejon Law Group, Inc.
The one continuing need of our Ukrainian war refugees is legal aid to maintain their legal and work status in the United States. Accordingly, all final contributions will be sent to our immigration attorneys in support of their continued efforts to benefit our refugee families. Attorney Crutcher is working to complete the first part of asylum applications for nine families not yet filed. She is doing this work at a deep discount. We anticipate dissolving our charitable nonprofit corporation before the end of 2025.
Please know that this does not mean that we will stop assisting our Ukrainian friends in Central Washington. We will continue our friendships with the families who are building new lives in our communities. We will assist as friends do when needs arise, sharing information, collecting essential items, celebrating growth and success, comforting each other through hardship. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank each of you for partnering with us these past three years. You have confirmed our mutual faith in humanity by showing compassion and generosity to Ukrainian families in need.
Sincerely,
FoUR Board of Directors: Russell J. Speidel, Suzi Pitts, Rev. Dr. Keith Madsen, Maria Alejandra Hansen, Jerry Lisewich, DeeAnn Gregg