HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Sunday marks Ukraine's Independence Day, and here in the Tampa Bay region, local communities are holding celebrations and services to honor the occasion. This comes as the war rages on in Ukraine amid peace efforts.
Many Ukrainian refugees now call Tampa home. Their stories of survival and hope continue to resonate.
WATCH full report by Keely McCormick
Tampa Bay 28's Keely McCormick sat down with a 76-year-old refugee who escaped Ukraine in 2022. Her daughter translated the conversation, and together they shared the horrific story.
Valntyna Chupryna fled Ukraine three years ago. She left behind her home, her neighbors, and her life to escape the violence that was engulfing her city.
She said what she heard and saw are horrible memories that will never leave her.
Valntyna now sings in a Ukrainian Church choir, searching for healing in the community that welcomed her. Her daughter, Tetiana, has been living in Tampa for years now and coordinated her mother’s escape to Tampa.
“It’s very emotional because my mom was there. She just got a hip replacement, and I mean, she was lying down. She could not do anything," Tetiana said.
The mother-daughter duo explained that Valntyna traveled out of her city in a caravan under fire. Tetiana translated and said that Russian troops were shooting at vehicles around them.
When her plane finally touched down in Tampa, Tetiana ran to greet her.
“They rolled my mom out on the wheelchair, and she looked so bad… I gave her a big hug and saw so much pain in her eyes, and I saw what she went through,” Tetiana said.
Now the duo stands together, grateful for the support they’ve received from the American people and their neighbors in Tampa.
Tetiana translated for her mom, who said, “She would like to tell all American people, Congress, and the government that support Ukraine.”
Many in Tampa's Ukrainian community share that same gratitude and desire for peace.
Natalia Turenkov moved to the US at 21, but many of her family members are still in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is my home, that’s where my parents are. My extended family, part of my extended family, is still in the occupied territories,” Natalia said.
She said she hadn’t seen her father in years. Despite the pain, Natalaia and Tetiana are taking action together. These two have been working hard to organize protests, community events, and even traveled to D.C. to meet with Congress.
They are pushing for peace and hanging onto hope as they prepare to celebrate Ukraine's Independence Day this Sunday.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
