The night before the emergency sirens went off, signalling RussiaB次元官网网址檚 invasion of Ukraine, Victoria was living out her childhood dream in Lviv.
It was a time of many firsts B次元官网网址� her first Christmas away from home, and her first time exploring her newfound independence as an 18-year-old university student in a brand-new city.
B次元官网网址淓ver since I escaped from Ukraine, these last couple of years have been a blur. But I remember the night before the attack in vivid detail,B次元官网网址� Victoria says.
B次元官网网址淢y friends and I were walking back to our dorm from Tango classes. It was raining hard, but we didnB次元官网网址檛 care. I can still see the bright streetlights and beautiful architecture of Lviv. I can still feel the raindrops on my skin from that night. I can still hear the laughter of my friends. I just remember feeling so happy.B次元官网网址�
Victoria was woken up at 4:30 a.m. by screeching sirens, a sound that seemed to echo louder still in the twilight hours of the streets of Lviv.
In the immediate aftermath of RussiaB次元官网网址檚 attack, Victoria was on autopilot, volunteering in bomb shelters and soup kitchens. When it became apparent that the invasion was only getting deadlier, she knew she had to escape.
B次元官网网址淢ajor airports and train stations were being attacked, so I spent whatever money I had left on a taxi and asked him to take me out of the city, towards the Polish border,B次元官网网址� Victoria says.
B次元官网网址淏ut the taxi ended up dropping me in the middle of nowhere because the roads were jammed with abandoned cars, ambulances and service equipment.B次元官网网址�
In the middle of the night, with nothing but a highway sign above her head marking the start of a long journey to the Polish border, Victoria began her grueling walk towards freedom.
B次元官网网址淚 lost all concept of time. I must have walked for several hours. I slept at empty gas stations. I was starving and exhausted. I felt like I was going to die any moment,B次元官网网址� she shares.
VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 sheer resilience and determination to survive allowed her to complete a journey that very few would have been able to endure by foot and cross the border. It was the end of her journey escaping Ukraine, and the start of another journey building a new life from scratch.
B次元官网网址淚 came across accidentally when I was trying to find free Ukrainian community services when I first arrived in Canada,B次元官网网址� says Victoria.
Foundry offers free and confidential supports for young people ages 12 to 24 B次元官网网址� mental health care, substance use services, physical & sexual healthcare, youth, and family peer supports, and social services B次元官网网址� both virtually and in-person in 16 communities across B.C. FoundryB次元官网网址檚 can be accessed through the Foundry BC app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App store, Google Play or accessed via web portal on a desktop.
Victoria slowly began counselling sessions at Foundry and connecting with other youth and peer support workers. Foundry became like a second home to her, and she felt comfortable walking into the centre anytime she wanted, even if it was just to hang out in the lounge and practice her English with other youth and staff.
Foundry was the first stable space she had since escaping the war where she didnB次元官网网址檛 feel alone. Where Victoria finally felt safe enough to process all she had been through.
B次元官网网址淚 feel so grateful to the people at Foundry because they appreciate me for who I am as a person. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not pitying me because IB次元官网网址檓 a refugee. TheyB次元官网网址檝e helped me feel like myself again,B次元官网网址� Victoria says.
VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 message to the world is to cherish every moment because life can change in the blink of an eye.
B次元官网网址淓ven now, when I close my eyes, I feel so close in my heart to the Victoria who was walking alone to the border in the dark. Scared. Begging the border officer to let her through. I feel her pain. I feel her fear. And I just want to hug her and say, youB次元官网网址檒l be fine. YouB次元官网网址檒l be OK. YouB次元官网网址檒l make it through this. I promise.B次元官网网址�
To learn more about Foundry, visit .