COLUMBUS, Ohio — In central Ohio, efforts are underway to help Ukrainian refugees free the country one by one.
Ukrainian artist Malvina Dobkin is raising thousands of dollars by selling her paintings and buying plane tickets to help Ukrainian families who are trying to leave their country.
“School in Ukraine starts at the beginning of September. It’s a tradition to start Sept.1. As the school year begins, there’s no more schools in Hagav, they’ve all been bombed,” says Dobkin.
Dobkin recalls undergoing similar persecution in Ukraine when her Jewish family had to flee the country 45 years ago. She says only one place would accept her whole family without separating them: Columbus, Ohio. Now, her mission is to help others flee, as history repeats itself.
“It is similar and worse because now it's the same, plus people are bombed. And people are scared, and they are afraid of what's going to happen, because this war isn't ending, so it's a lot of unknowns,” says Dobkin.
She uses what she knows and loves to make a difference: her art.
“It hit me, I can sell my paintings, which I enjoy to do, I'm doing it all my love, I love painting, I can paint 24 hours a day,” says Dobkin.
With each piece Dobkin sells, she uses 100% of the proceeds to buy plane tickets for Ukrainians trying to flee and coordinate them to safety.
She has already raised over $5,000 and gained life-long friends. Dobkin says she will continue painting and selling as much art as she can to help more families in need.
To learn more about her work or to donate, you can visit her Instagram page.