A refugee family that fled Ukraine after Russian troops invaded last year has found a new life and a unique community in the Bay Area.
After fleeing eastern Ukraine and traveling for a month, Yuilia Karpenko, her husband and 5-year-old son Volodymyr, who goes by Vova, landed in Redwood City.
Vova was admitted to the school at the St. Francis Center. It was different than anything the family knew before.
Vova was scared after seeing so much back home. He never wanted to leave his mom and didn’t speak any English as he entered kindergarten.
“He’s been afraid until now of a big noise,” Karpenko said. “That can [make