'We just wanted to help people': Ukrainian refugee helping others displaced by war settle in Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- We are just hours away from marking the 100-day anniversary since the start of the Ukrainian war.

So many groups around the globe are pitching in to help refugees escaping their homeland, including a local nonprofit, helping a refugee who has come full circle.

She is now assisting people in  the same situation she was in. CBS 2's Tim McNicholas shares the story of Ukrainians finding a new home in Chicago.

Pictures of war are hard to look at. But when those photos are sent by your own brother, showing your hometown...

"I cry every day." 

Natalya  said that's not just hard, it's also heartbreaking.

"It's a shock every day. Because during my life I lived a normal, usual life. I have child, I have husband, I have a normal situation, like all people in Kharkiv," Zavizistup said.

Zavizistup fled Ukraine with her son shortly after the Russian invasion. They wound up in Chicago and are settling in with the help of a nonprofit in Ukrainian Village called the Selfreliance Association. The group connects refugees with English lessons, computer literacy and other needs.

"And in Chicago, I must a start a new life, for me," said Zavizistup.

"We just wanted to help people." 

Walter Tun of the Selfreliance Association says the group is hearing from dozens of Ukrainian refugees per week in need of help.
Some refugees have sponsors to help them, but not all.

"But the ones that are coming in just cold, they're looking for help with housing. They're looking for legal help with their immigration forms they need to fill out. And just to orient themselves with how to live life day to day in the city," Tun said. 

Now Zavizistup is volunteering with the Selfreliance Association, helping other refugees like her. When she left Ukraine, she decided to head to Chicago because she'd visited here a few years ago.

"I like this region, because earlier, I know about Ukrainian community," Zavizistup said.

But as she builds her life here, she still worries about her family back in Ukraine, especially on days when she can't get a hold of her father.

"I am nervous of him because I don't know what will be of the next morning,"  Zavizistup said.

The nonprofit is always looking for people who can help out refugees with housing or other needs. Click here if you'd like to help and find more information about the organization. 

In:
• Chicago
• Ukraine
• Refugee