Welcome Circles
UNITING FOR UKRAINE | WELCOME CIRCLES
In response to the war in Ukraine, the US Government has created the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. This pathway allows individual US residents to support displaced Ukrainians to come to the US and receive two years of humanitarian parole, which means they can live and work in the US for up to two years. Holy Spirit Parish, in coordination with St. Joseph Parish through the Social Justice Minsitry, is looking to sponsor a family and needs a core group of six individuals that will dedicate efforts, personal skills, and resources to help the selected family.
Update 08.26.2023 | “We are very, very, very, grateful. You have saved my family’s life!” - Serhii
Our Welcome Circle Ukrainian Family has safely arrived in Avon Lake!
We are so very grateful that you helped make this possible. We proudly would like to introduce our family. Anastasiia, Serhii, and Dobrynia from Ukraine. They arrived at Cleveland Hopkins Airport on Monday , August 14 at 10:43 PM. We have been working at getting our family settled into their new home.
We are very busy getting the required paperwork completed to help them acquire basic needs. They have a two-bedroom apartment here in town. We will be busy in the next few weeks getting required paper work filled in and completed. We were able to get Dobrynia registered for 1st grade at Westview Elementary School in Avon Lake. Again, we thank you for all your donations to our Ukrainian family. The items we requested for their kitchen, bath, bedrooms, and living room look fantastic in their new home, it is because of your generosity. We could not have done it without all your help and donations.
YOU are the heart of the Welcome Circle. Please keep our family in your prayers as they adjust to their new way of life in America.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us at: welcomecircle@stjosephavonlake.org
Update 08.19.2023 | Welcome Anastasiia, Serhii, and Dobrynia!
Dear Parishioners,
We thank you very much for all your donations to our Ukrainian family. The items we requested for their kitchen, bath, bedroom, and living room are complete because of your generosity. Many of you have shared your time, talents, and treasure, and we appreciate your generosity. We could not have undertaken such a major endeavor without your help. You are the Welcome Circle!
We just welcomed the arrival of Anastasiia, Serhii, and their son Dobrynia this week, praise God!
Update 07.09.2023 | How to Buy Items & Pray
Dear Holy Spirit Parishioners,
We need your material and spiritual support to successfully prepare the Welcome Circle to help the family we are hosting.
Please take a moment to look below:
Instructions on How to Use the Registry to Donate Items
Prayer Card For Peace in Ukraine
Want to help or have questions?
Email us at: welcomecircle@stjosephavonlake.org
Update 06.09.2023 | Donation Info
Dear Holy Spirit Parishioners,
As you know we are partnering with St. Joseph Parish ad have formed and official USCCB “Welcoming Circle” to sponsor and bring a Ukrainian family here to Avon Lake.
We need your generous support to make this happen. There is so much to do to make this world a better place and at times it can seem overwhelming. We cannot do it all, but we can make it better for one Ukrainian family. We humbly ask for your help in any way you can.
You can make a monetary donation in any amount, make checks payable to St Joseph Parish and on the memo line, write “Ukrainian Welcome Circle”. You can also sign up to donate certain items that we will need to set up the apartment for our family.
At this time – Holy Spirit is helping furnish all the kitchen items. If you have any questions you can reach out to Karen Groza, a member of our core team and fellow Holy Spirit Parishioner at 440.668.3563.
There is a gift registry organized at Target where you can see what is needed. The name of the registry is Holy Spirit Parish Ukrainian Family Community Registry. You can order on that registry and items will be shipped to Holy Spirit or you can drop them off at Holy Spirit’s Fr. Mosovsky Hall during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9 am – 4pm – with a note or a tag stating the items are specifically for the Ukraine Welcome Circle.
*We also still need gifted people who could help us by being a Ukrainian translator for us. Contact us if you know of anyone!
Update 5.26.2023 | How You Can Help!
We have submitted all the paper work necessary to sponsor our Ukrainian family! Now we wait…for our family to be vetted and our approval to sponsor them for two years.
We need your generous support to make this happen. We humbly ask for your help in any way you can. You can make a monetary donation in any amount, make checks payable to St Joseph Parish and on the memo line, write “Ukrainian Welcome Circle”. You can also sign up to donate certain items that we will need to set up the apartment for our family. Sign-up sheets will be in the Gathering Area after all the masses. If you have any questions you will see a name of a member of our core team who can answer questions regarding your donation.
If you are a person who does not like shopping or does not have anything to donate but are able to help us financially we have a sign-up sheet for you! Maybe you can contribute by paying towards the rent, paying a gas bill for a month, helping pay renters insurance, etc. We will need to help our family until they can get a job and become self sufficient.
Holy Spirit Parish is also going to be donating financially to our Welcome Circle endeavor. They also will be responsible to furnish everything needed in the kitchen and then set it up before our family arrives.
*We need gifted people who could help us by being a Ukrainian translator for us. Contact us if you know of anyone!
Update 5.02.2023 | How You Can Help!
Update 4.28.2023 | Meet Our Team!
Want to help or have questions?
Email us at: welcomecircle@stjosephavonlake.org
UKRAINIANS NEED YOUR HELP!
USCCB’s Department of Migration and Refugee Services is launching a new initiative to support Ukrainians -- Welcome Circles. Across the country, we hope to see Catholic parishes, other houses of worship, and local organizations meet the needs of displaced Ukrainians through collective action.
Welcome Circles are groups of 5 or more adults who agree to financially support Ukrainians through the U4U program and to help them navigate their new community in the US.