CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A Citrus County couple is opening their doors to sponsor a family from Ukraine. It’s through a government program called ‘Uniting for Ukraine.’

What You Need To Know

  • Thanks to a government program called 'Uniting for Ukraine,' one Crystal River couple is helping sponsor a family from Ukraine
  • The sponsorship allows the Kebap family to live and work in America, an opportunity to help the family start their lives fresh
  • As they look to restart their lives, a GoFundMe page has been set up for the Kebap family

Thanks to that sponsorship, the Kebap family is living and working here in the U.S. It’s an opportunity to help them start their lives fresh.

Gathered around the kitchen table of their Crystal River home sits Bart Rasmussen and his wife, Sue, along with their new house guests from Ukraine —  the Kebap family.

“We were hearing of his son sleeping in the bathtub at night in case their home was hit with a bomb," says Bart. "We just wanted to find a way to help them.”

The Rasmussens were first introduced to Andriy, who was working as a wine sommelier, on a European cruise seven years ago. They learned about him, his wife Olesia and their son Illia, who they were expecting at the time.

With the war in Ukraine taking a turn for the worse, Andriy decided it was no longer safe to stay.

“You can hear the rockets and missiles going around and it’s not a firework, you know," says Andriy. "When you have an explosion, you can hear it from many, many kilometers or miles away.”

The Rasmussens, having kept in touch with Andriy, got involved, signing up with the ‘Uniting for Ukraine’ program.

“It’s a two-year commitment on our part but to get them out of harm’s way and here to safety and, if they like it, to possibly start a new life here in the United States,” said Bart.

It has meant the Kebaps starting fresh, with Andriy seeking work to provide for his family.

“It not only means right now, but what potentially this could mean for them long-term," Bart said. "And have a safe life and a new life here in America if they hope to stay at one point.”

It's a move that Andriy is thankful for.

“To find a job, to have enough money to work to support my family, to support my son to go to school, to have everything for them to live a normal life,” he says.

For more on the Kebap family and their new start, you can learn more about their journey and get involved through a GoFundMe page set up for the family.