This Moment Matters: Migrants Find Safety and Refuge

ATLANTA – Imagine, for a moment, what it would feel like to leave your entire world behind— while still carrying responsibility for the family members who depend on you.

This is the challenge that Halyna, a 38-year-old mother from Odesa, Ukraine, faced in 2022 when the realities—and the bombs—of war edged closer.

“I remember thinking the war would last a week, maybe two,” she says. “I didn’t believe I would have to leave my country. But then a rocket exploded near my house. That was the moment I understood I had to leave.”

Now imagine having to flee your home for an unfamiliar country where the language is foreign, the systems are confusing, and every decision is urgent. Your mother is unwell and needs daily insulin to survive. Your teenage daughter needs help adapting to a new culture and school. You need housing, language classes, and a job.

“There was no time to rest,” says Halyna, looking back. “From the first day, it fell to me alone to solve everything.”

With support of The United Methodist Church, Halyna found relief. She connected with the caring and supportive staff of a Global Ministries and UMCOR partner equipped to provide refugees with access to legal assistance, housing, employment, and psychosocial support.

“Before, everything was about solving problems,” she says. “Afterwards, I could start thinking about the future. I could rebuild. Not only my daily life, but also my role, my purpose.”

Today, Halyna’s life looks very different.

“Today my life is organized,” she says. “I feel calm. This calm is the best dream I could have.”

Global Ministries and UMCOR have been walking alongside thousands of Ukrainian refugees like Halyna as they rebuild their lives on Romanian soil. Since fall of 2025, we have helped:

• Nearly 900 vulnerable individuals meet basic, urgent humanitarian needs.
• More than 1,000 refugees receive legal counseling to better understand their rights and navigate complex systems.
• Nearly 4,200 people receive holistic services including language training, integration services and community support.

Halyna now feels strong enough to begin reaching out to help others. Building on her experience teaching students with special needs, she leads workshops for other refugee women, creating a safe space where they can share their experiences and begin to heal.

“Global Ministries didn’t just support me,” she says. “It gave me the foundation to stand again.”

Discover more about our work to welcome refugees and other migrants and provide for their basic needs through global migration ministries and commemorate World Refugee Day 2026 with a gift of support.