Some Ukrainian refugees find new homes in Maine with help from a fellow expat

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/ [login to see] /some-ukrainian-refugees-find-new-homes-in-maine-with-help-from-a-fellow-expat
On a warm spring afternoon, Halyna and Petro Terzi stepped into their new apartment in Auburn, Maine, for the first time. A small group of fellow Ukrainians was there to greet them.

Carrying blue and yellow balloons and a bouquet of flowers wrapped in plastic, the couple walked into their sunny bedroom overlooking the back yard. They'll be sharing this apartment with another Ukrainian family who arrived several weeks ago.

With a tired-looking smile on his face, Petro lowered himself into a soft armchair next to the bed and let out a deep sigh. His daughter, Alina Terzi, who's lived in Maine for several years, set down some of her parents' luggage.

"They are so happy they're like 'Praise the Lord we are — we've arrived,' " she said, translating her father's comments in Russian.

The Terzis are from Odessa. They fled their home in late February, several days into the Russian invasion. They went first to Moldova, then to Poland. There, volunteers with the Seventh Day Adventist church connected them with a family in Warsaw, who hosted them while the couple waited for the U.S. embassy to process their visa applications.