On September 10, 18 Ukrainians who were resettled in Richmond by JFS hosted “Tea Day,” a cultural exchange and thank you event for members of the VCU community.
The gathering was part of VCU Global Education’s weekly Tea Time series, which was created to hold a welcoming space for conversation, cultural sharing and language practice. This event allowed JFS Ukrainian clients to share their culture while also practicing their English alongside their peers.
For many of the 160 Ukrainians currently supported by JFS, coming to the United States is both exciting and daunting. They often arrive with degrees, work experience and a strong sense of identity but face the reality that those qualifications do not always transfer directly to the American job market.
JFS helps newcomers find a place to live by furnishing apartments and paying their rent for six months while also helping them secure jobs. Some new arrivals find work as artists, some at jewelry stores and others as long-haul truck drivers. Beyond housing and employment, JFS identified the VCU Global Center as their partner in the critical process of getting international degrees translated into American equivalencies. When a new arrival can present their credentials in English to prospective employers, their chances of finding fulfilling work here increase.
“It takes two weeks,” JFS Resettlement Case Manager Valeriy Ryabuka said. “Initially, they send you an electronic version, and then in one more week, you will get a printed version by mail after it’s approved.”
Ryabuka understands these challenges on a personal level. He first came to the United States in 2001 through a fellowship with the Medford Police Department in Massachusetts, his host organization, but returned back to Ukraine once his fellowship was complete. When Russia’s war in Ukraine escalated, a VCU mentor encouraged him and his wife to return to Richmond.
He said the Tea Day event at VCU provided a unique opportunity for both cultural exchange and language practice.
“Not only is it about cultural exchange, it’s about cultural development,” Ryabuka said. “That is why it is a good opportunity.”
For many Ukrainians arriving in Richmond, mastering English is one of the biggest hurdles. Ryabuka said it is something that everyone recognizes as a necessity, not only for daily life but for building a future.
That sense of investment in the future is what motivates Ryabuka in his work every day. The chance to guide someone through a challenge, whether it’s housing, employment or language, makes the work worthwhile.
“Obviously, when you can help it is the most rewarding,” he said. “Because you know that day was spent not in vain. You know, my favorite poem says ‘Forever is hard to imagine. The future may seem far away, but every new dawn brings a wonderful chance to do what we can on that day.’ If you manage to do something essential for others, it matters.”
For him, Tea Day also carried another responsibility: representing JFS and its work in the community.
“My goal here is to help our clients and to keep high the image of JFS because we’re not here by chance,” he said.
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