Raymond resident continues to help Ukrainian families relocate to America

By Masha Yurkevich

When life is good, we often take many things for granted. From the very beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Marilyn Redegeld Ross of Raymond, a singer, composer and recording artist, saw the need to help and has continued to do so by sponsoring Ukrainian families.

Marilyn Redegeld Ross of Raymond has been
helping families from Ukraine emigrate to the 
United States. This is one of the final families
that she is helping to come here, and they are 
still waiting for confirmation after their home
burned to the ground during the war last winter.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“A recent poll revealed that Americans' number one concern is immigration even before the economy,” says Redegeld. “People are frustrated with the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants coming through our southern border. Meanwhile, all the heartfelt support for Ukrainians has somehow subsided and Americans seem to have lost their appetite for Putin's war, but the suffering of the Ukrainians people continues.”

For Ukrainian sponsors like Redegeld, the legal immigration process has become more difficult and a longer process for her Ukrainian beneficiaries. As of Aug. 1, 2023, the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) Program Uniting For Ukraine (U4U) added a needs-based 750-character minimum requirement to describe why the recipients’ situation to come to America is urgent.

Redegeld has been passionate about the humanitarian efforts for Ukrainians since the invasion began almost two years ago. She began writing songs for Ukraine considering every angle of what was transpiring which resulted in her recording several songs in support of the Ukrainian people.

By the summer of 2022 after reading an article in The Windham Eagle about a Ukrainian family that was sponsored by a Windham family, she inquired about how she could do the same. Redegeld joined a Facebook Group for uniting American sponsors with recipients and with much work, sponsored two families and an 18-year-old. One family of four lived in her basement apartment for a few months until the school year was over for the twin girls. Then they relocated with new jobs in the Chicago area. The other family settled in California and the 18-year-old moved to Boston.

More Ukrainians continued to approach Redegeld on Facebook and she went on to sponsor two more families who have been suffering through deteriorating conditions, daily sirens, nearby rocket attacks and occasionally losing power. Food is scarce and expensive, and money is hard to make with low wages.

A family of four adults, currently in Chortkiv, that Redegeld sponsored last July, quickly received a response and confirmation. However, it took three months for USCIS to correct some errors. On the application Marilyn wrote a lengthy story about the 56-year-old father's medical condition in which he had to have emergency surgery to remove his thyroid. The family was not able to save the funds for their flight costs, so Redegeld, her husband, and her son are working to get the necessary funds together and they are hoping to be greeting the family at Logan airport no later than March.

This family is anxious to begin their new lives and are eager to find jobs and work hard using the skills they already have. The 34-year-old son of this family is currently in Poland earning money to support the family, but it is impossible to have anything left over to save for their upcoming journey.

The last and final family, currently in Gostomel, that Redegeld has sponsored with the help of the father of her children, Doug Redegeld, have been waiting for a response from USCIS since early September.

“This is particularly frustrating because this family of three, with a 12-year-old boy, endured a rocket attack just a year ago which resulted in their home burning to the ground,” says Redegeld. “They have post-traumatic stress and panic whenever there are sirens blaring, which can be daily, with rocket attacks and the sound of drones and audible explosions. The father and son both play guitar and love music. The mother is a hairdresser.”

These families are very humble and grateful for Redegeld’s and the community's support and for the opportunity to come to the U.S. legally and be productive and prosperous members of our increasingly diverse society.

“We must not forget how important our legal immigration is and support the hopes and dreams similar to those of our ancestors who also escaped similar circumstances,” says Redegeld.

Redegeld says that she is grateful for all the help and support that the Lakes Region community has given.

For more information about how to help with this effort, send an email to robin.marilyn68@yahoo.com <