Iryna Shatravka has run away from war twice.

The Mission resident comes from Horlivka, Ukraine 鈥� which has been under Russian occupation since 2014 when war began in the Donbas region. 

Shatravka told the Mission Record there were times while living in Horlivka she had to hide from shelling in her basement.  

鈥淥ne day a shell hit our house and pierced the roof. It was just lucky that the shell didn鈥檛 explode,鈥� Shatravka said with the help of a translation tool. 

Shatravka fled Horlivka and bought an apartment in Kharkiv. However, the war followed. 

Eight years later, in 2022, the Russian military invaded Kharkiv. Shatravka described her home in Ukraine as 鈥渂roken鈥� and says her experience with the war has been traumatizing.

Once again, Shatravka was forced to flee. 

B.C. was the natural destination with her son working in Port Coquitlam. However, he moved from Port Coquitlam to Seattle for work but Shatravka couldn鈥檛 join due to a lack of a U.S. Visa. 

She moved to Mission in 2023 to be closer to friends. 

鈥淚 live here because the war continues,鈥� Shatravka said. 鈥淣ow [I鈥檓 in the] immigration program, because the war does not stop. I need [to] live here now and here in Mission I have a lot of friends.鈥�

Moving to Mission didn鈥檛 come without challenges. 

Without work, she needed support and found it at St. Joseph鈥檚 Food Bank. Shatravka is one of the 2,000 food bank users and one of 75 volunteers. 

At least once every week she helps to package food, stock shelves and help out.  She says St. Joseph鈥檚 has been a big support for her. 

鈥淧eople from [the] food bank help me and I help other people. I like this team 鈥� very, very good people work here,鈥� she said.

In addition to volunteering for the food bank each week, Shatravka has also secured part-time work at a local retail store. 

鈥淸It鈥檚] not too much but I have money for my life,鈥� she said. 

She is still able to see her son and grandchildren every month when they come north of the border. 

鈥淏ritish Columbia is very safe. This is very beautiful, very friendly country 鈥� and this is safe. This is very important,鈥� Shatravka said. 

Despite the promise of safety, the itch to return home remains. 

Shatravka says she misses Ukraine . She hopes the war will end soon and people will stop suffering. 

鈥淭he war [does] not stop,鈥� she said.  鈥淚 watch the news every day but [it鈥檚] not good for people. Every day, they kill people in Kharkiv. This is a very bad situation. This is not, not safe for people.鈥�