When Agnessa woke to the sound of missiles crashing into her city at dawn on a February morning in 2022, her life changed forever.
Russia had launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the world she knew unraveled in an instant.
“It was 5 a.m., and the rocks from the blast were hitting everything. I’ll never forget that sound,”
she says, her voice trembling with the memory.
“I started packing right away. We brought all our family into one house, thinking maybe we’d feel safer together. But deep down, we were terrified.”
Survival became the only priority. The streets of Ukraine were eerily quiet, with businesses shuttered and curfews imposed to protect civilians.
“Only grocery stores were open,”
Agnessa recalls.
“Even then, there were times we couldn’t leave the house
because it wasn’t safe. Every moment was filled with anxiety.
I was constantly scared something terrible would happen.”
The fear wasn’t just for herself. It was for her family, many of whom couldn’t escape.
“My cousins and my aunt’s sons—they’re men, and they weren’t
allowed to leave. They had to stay and fight. My aunt stayed, too,
because she didn’t want to leave them behind. It’s heartbreaking
to know they’re still there, in the middle of it all”
Leaving Ukraine was one of the hardest decisions Agnessa ever made.
“My house, my room, my cat, my grandmother, my friends—it was
so painful to leave everything behind and move to a country where
I didn’t know what would happen. How would we live?
It was all unknown.”
When she arrived in the United States, the challenges of starting over felt insurmountable.She arrived with her mother and two suitcases.
“Everything was different,”
she explains.
“Even driving was a struggle. Back home, we only had two lanes forward and two lanes back. Here, the freeways were massive and confusing.
I had no idea where to go or how to get there.”
Thankfully, Catholic Charities was there to help.
“They gave us a contact, and we’ve kept in touch ever since.
You helped us with our apartment, answered my questions,
and supported me in ways I didn’t even know I needed.
Our case manager has been amazing—whenever I have questions,
he’s there for me.”
The support Catholic Charities provided gave Agnessa and her family
the stability they desperately needed.
“When we arrived, it felt like survival was our only option.
We thought we’d have to work nonstop just to stay afloat,
with no time to think about the future.
But Catholic Charities gave us a chance to breathe.”
As time passed, Agnessa began adjusting to her new life.
“The first few months were overwhelming, but slowly,
things started to make sense. We’ve been here almost
two years now—November 19, 2024, marked that milestone.
I can’t believe how far we’ve come.”
For Agnessa, the United States has offered more than safety—it has offered hope.
“This country motivates you,”
she says.
“If you work hard, you can create something here. I think of this as my second life,
a gift from God. I have the chance to start fresh, to dream again.”
Now, Agnessa sees a future full of possibilities.
“Catholic Charities means opportunity for me and my family. Without your help,
we’d still be living in fear with no hope for tomorrow. But now,
we can breathe, we can plan, and we can dream”
Agnessa and her parents are moving to a home where they can start a daycare business.
This will allow them to support themselves as they continue to adapt to the US.
Hopefully, in the near future, more of her family will be able to join them and
live in safety and not in a war-torn country.
Agnessa’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and
the power of compassion in the face of unimaginable loss. Despite the challenges,
she is moving forward—one step at a time—toward a brighter future.