From the
Whether its 17th-century France or 21st-century Eastern Europe, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have taught us that the call to serve the dear neighbor can be felt anywhere and at any time. For Katie Eichten 04 and her husband, Jared Mitchell, the call came when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Eichten and Mitchell live in Relovo, Bulgaria, a small village about an hour outside the capital, Sofia. Mitchell owns his own web development company, and Eichten had recently finished teaching English when the crisis began.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than half a million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the Bulgarian border since February 2022. Eichten says the influx of refugees created a unique opportunity for her family to help firsthand with housing: they own their own home and an additional apartment in a ski town 20 minutes away.
This happened at our doorstep, says Eichten. We werent just going to donate money when we are so close. We had to do as much as we could.
In early March, Eichten and Mitchell got involved with Za Dobroto, a local humanitarian aid organization whose name translates to For Good, and its partner shelter, Open Doors. At the same time, they also signed up on websites dedicated to helping displaced Ukrainians find shelter. Within hours, Eichten says, they received message after message from people fleeing Ukraine and looking for a place to stay.
Through one of the websites, Eichten and Mitchell connected with the Tkachenko family, and on March 9, welcomed them into their home. We went from a quiet little house of two to a crazy house of eight, says Eichten.
The Tkachenko family included grandmother Natalya (51); three of her four daughters, Nastia (26), Polly (14), and Kristina (12); and Nastias three-year-old daughter and six-month-old son. Nastias husband stayed behind in Kyiv to continue working, and Natalyas fourth daughter (age 19) remained in Kyiv with her own husband.
Jared Mitchell (left) and Katie Eichten 04 (right) outside their home in Bulgaria, where they hosted the Tkachenko family.
Since March 2022, Eichten and Mitchell have been supporting local humanitarian aid organization Za Dobroto in fundraising, stocking living supplies, and securing childcare space.
Polly Tkachenko celebrated her 14th birthday while her family stayed with Eichten and Mitchell.
When they arrived in Bulgaria, the Tkachenko family had traveled for three days on a bus and carried one bag each.
Eichten poses for a selfie with three-year-old Kira.
With the money raised, Eichten and Mitchell have been helping Za Dobroto stock up on living supplies: food, clothing, toiletries, toys for babies and children, and more.
Hearing what the family had been through was heartbreaking, Eichten says. Not only were they separated from the rest of their family, but they had traveled to the Romanian border and then taken a bus for three days to reach Sofia. They carried only one bag each.
Eichten, who majored in broadcast journalism at St. Kates and has a masters degree in counseling from Saint Marys University of Minnesota, says the emotional toll of the stressful journey was clear. Theyve left the only place they have ever known. We wanted to get them settled, comfortable, and safe, she says.
The Tkachenko family stayed with Eichten and Mitchell until May 2022, when they moved into housing subsidized by the Bulgarian government. Eichten says that while they seemed happy there, after a few weeks, they returned to Kyiv to reunite with their family.
Eichten says she continues to worry for their safety. Im still in contact with them, and I check in, especially when I hear news of bombings and things. We did tell them were here to help and to come back and stay if they need anything.
Eichten and Mitchell have continued to aid other refugee families. All in all, through a combination of several fundraisers and private donations from family and friends, Eichten and Mitchell had raised more than $50,000 as of December 2022.
In addition to hosting the Tkachenko family, the funds have enabled them to subsidize rent or pay living expenses for seven different families, including hosting two in their nearby ski apartment. Theyve also helped secure a five-year lease and are paying the first six months of rent on a space where Za Dobroto is providing childcare for refugee Ukrainian children while their mothers look for work.
Eichten credits her time at St. Kates with giving her the courage to do this work. There have been so many obstacles, but one of the things I learned from St. Kates is to find ways around them, and stay positive through it all, she says. You dont give up. You find a way to get things done because these people need our help.
And she hopes they can continue helping for the long-term. The war is not ending. As long as we have the funds to do it, we just hope we can keep going in some way, she says. We cant do this on our own, and we are so humbled by the support weve received.
To learn more about Eichten and Mitchells efforts and fundraising, visit their website:
By Lindsey Frey Palmquist. Photos by Katie Eichten 04 and Jared Mitchell.