The Holley Family and Friends are fundraising for: the Sova Family

Svitlana, mother (57), Polina, daughter (21), Sofia, daughter (13)

“On February 24, 2022 the whole family woke up to the sound of shots being fired. Everyone immediately understood that the war had begun. Svitlana worked on the railroad in Slatino. Her office called and told her to go to work, but when she left the house, she knew she wouldn’t make it to work. Although she couldn’t make it to work, Svitlana did not return home. Instead, she went around the village to find out what was happening. She learned from people that the Russians had broken through and were very close. Svitlana returned home to her daughters, and they all hid in the house. When the shelling intensified, they all hid in the cellar. It was very damp and cold, so cold that any exposed areas of skin immediately got frostbite. It became more and more difficult to stay in the cellar. The family cooked outside and tried to wash clothes in the river in the winter. Because of this, Svitlana got frostbite on her hands. When the family found out that people were being taken out of the village, they asked for help and went to the neighboring village. Svitlana’s husband was still alive at the outset of the war. He protected and worried about the family, but because of all the stress from the war, he had a heart attack that he did not survive. Because of this war, the girls were left without a father, without a home, and with nothing to rebuild their lives.”