At this week's meeting we had the pleasure of welcoming Olga Llinska, a Ukranian refugee, and Rotarian James Morrison to our meeting. James, who is a member of Pt. Loma Rotary, shared about the process of Rotary International grants and the impact of supporting families like Olga, who escaped her homeland and the challenges she has faced.
Olga shared her personal story of struggle and hope as she was forced to flee her country when the war broke out in February 2022. We learned about the dangers and challenges women and children faced during their escape, in addition to the generous support she has received through Rotary grants. Initially over $15 million was raised world-wide which was put into 272 disaster grants. Additional grants have been written, and James' local committee has been coordinating with the International Rescue Committee to support families in San Diego. There are currently over 100,000 refugees in the US, with over 80 families in the San Diego area. We were moved by Olga's moving story of survival and look forward to discussing ways in which our club can get involved to support others like Olga.
