Meeting with Governor Polis
By Nick Voronkov
On Tuesday March 8, 2022, we met with Governor Polis to talk about actions being taken by our elected officials and assistance they can offer us. The roundtable discussion was also joined by Andres Carrera, Denver Metro Regional Director with Sen. John Hickenlooper, and Meg Sagaria-Barritt with Office of Economic Security.
We were able to express our concerns and present our requests for assistance in ways that would benefit not only families in Ukraine needing immediate assistance and medical care, but also providing supplies and gear to those fighting against the Russian aggression. The officials and the media meeting with us now have a better understanding about our community efforts to conduct fundraising and that we are actively staying in touch with our families and friends in Ukraine.
Another important topic we discussed is what preventative and educational steps we all can take to avoid bullying and discrimination, as anger continues to build. Governor Polis and others understand that many Russian people oppose this war and do not support Putin's government. They will look for ways to ensure there is no bullying in schools towards kids with "Russian" names and hope that this war will end as soon as possible so we can focus on rebuilding Ukraine and broken relationships.
Senator's office and Office of Economic Security will keep myself and others updated about any refugee/immigration updates that will enable us to bring those who need medical care to stateside. Governor Polis also pledged that Colorado is ready to accept refugees from Ukraine as soon as the federal government finds ways to expedite the process. You can read more about out meeting here:
Governor Polis meets Ukrainians of Colorado