We Stand With Ukraine

Alisa and her mother visited their homeland in December. Alisa stayed with her grandparents in Mariupol (ma-ree-OO-pol), the port city where she grew up. Alisa ate at her favorite restaurants and hung out with friends she missed. Her relatives were preparing for the holidays and making plans for the new year. There was no hint of the danger to come.

Four months later, Mariupol is a very different place. The Russian military has bombed the city more than any other in Ukraine. After weeks of bombing, apartment buildings like the one where Alisa grew up are piles of rubble. The city has been without electricity for weeks. Clean water has been so hard to find that many people have had to rely on melted snow. To stay warm, they have been forced to chop down trees for firewood.

“I didn’t know it was going to turn into a different world,” Alisa says.

Near the end of March, more than 100,000 civilians were trapped in the war-torn city. Nearly all communication with the outside world had been cut off. Alisa hadn’t heard from her grandparents since the first week after the invasion. She had no way of knowing if they were still in the city or had managed to escape. But Alisa knows what she’ll say when she talks to them again.

“I love you and can’t wait until I can hug you,” she says.

Alisa and her mother visited their homeland in December. Alisa stayed with her grandparents in Mariupol (ma-ree-OO-pol). That's the port city where she grew up. Alisa ate at her favorite restaurants. She hung out with friends she missed. Her relatives were preparing for the holidays and making plans for the new year. There was no hint of the danger to come.

Four months later, Mariupol is a very different place. The Russian military has bombed the city more than any other in Ukraine. After weeks of bombing, apartment buildings like the one where Alisa grew up are piles of rubble. The city has been without electricity for weeks. Clean water has been so hard to find. Many people have had to rely on melted snow. To stay warm, they have been forced to chop down trees for firewood.

“I didn’t know it was going to turn into a different world,” Alisa says.

Near the end of March, more than 100,000 civilians were trapped in the war-torn city. Nearly all communication with the outside world had been cut off. Alisa hadn’t heard from her grandparents since the first week after the invasion. She had no way of knowing if they were still in the city. She didn't know if they had managed to escape. But Alisa knows what she’ll say when she talks to them again.

“I love you and can’t wait until I can hug you,” she says.

Alisa’s classmates Annika Kyyashko, Walter Killey, and Daniela Tyrpak know how she feels. Each has at least one parent who grew up in Ukraine and family members who still live there. After the Russian invasion, the four students wanted to find a way to help the people of Ukraine. But what could they do from thousands of miles away? 

In early March, their principal, Anthony Babusci, came up with the idea for the fund-raiser. The students decided to sell items that showed their support for Ukraine. They made hundreds of bracelets in blue and yellow—the colors of the Ukrainian flag. 

They also sold sunflower pins. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. For Ukrainians, it is a symbol of peace. But since the war began, the sunflower has become a sign of Ukraine’s strength and resistance to the Russian attack. Though badly outnumbered, Ukrainian forces have surprised the Russians by putting up a brave defense of their homeland. Across the country, civilian volunteers have taken up weapons to try to stop Russian troops from gaining control. 

Alisa’s classmates Annika Kyyashko, Walter Killey, and Daniela Tyrpak know how she feels. Each has at least one parent who grew up in Ukraine. They also have family members who still live there. After the Russian invasion, the four students wanted to find a way to help the people of Ukraine. But what could they do from thousands of miles away?

In early March, their principal, Anthony Babusci, came up with an idea. He suggested a fund-raiser. The students decided to sell items that showed their support for Ukraine. They made hundreds of bracelets in blue and yellow. They are the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

They also sold sunflower pins. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. For Ukrainians, it is a symbol of peace. But since the war began, the sunflower has become a sign of Ukraine’s strength and resistance to the Russian attack. Though badly outnumbered, Ukrainian forces have surprised the Russians by putting up a brave defense of their homeland. Across the country, civilian volunteers have taken up weapons. They want to try to stop Russian troops from gaining control.

Alisa and her classmates hoped to bring in a few hundred dollars with their school fund-raiser. But they ended up raising more than $5,000. 

“It went beyond our expectations,” says Annika. “It was really nice to see that.”

The money will go to UNICEF, a humanitarian organization that provides food, water, clothing, and medical care to kids in Ukraine. Though they were happy to get involved, Alisa and her classmates just want the war to end. 

“My greatest hope is that the country will be restored,” Alisa says, “and that people can go back to their normal lives, with no more war.”

Alisa and her classmates hoped to bring in a few hundred dollars with their school fund-raiser. But they ended up raising more than $5,000. 

“It went beyond our expectations,” says Annika. “It was really nice to see that.”

The money will go to UNICEF. That's a humanitarian organization that provides food, water, clothing, and medical care to kids in Ukraine. Though they were happy to get involved, Alisa and her classmates just want the war to end.

“My greatest hope is that the country will be restored,” Alisa says, “and that people can go back to their normal lives, with no more war.”

1. The article says “To Alisa, Ukraine isn’t just a country in the news.” What does this mean?

2. How does the author support the idea that Mariupol has changed since Alisa visited in December?

3. Based on the sidebar “How Has the U.S. Reacted?,” what are sanctions?

1. The article says “To Alisa, Ukraine isn’t just a country in the news.” What does this mean?

2. How does the author support the idea that Mariupol has changed since Alisa visited in December?

3. Based on the sidebar “How Has the U.S. Reacted?,” what are sanctions?