A Ukrainian immigrant who owns a textile design studio in Chicago’s West Loop has made it her mission to assist those living in Ukraine during the Russian invasion in any way possible.
“My mom, my sister in Ukraine, I know firsthand what they are going through," Oksana Ambroz-Trychta said. "We are trying here to help them as much as we can.”
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WATCH HEREOksana Ambroz-Trychta is one of several local independent Ukrainian small business owners selling their wares at "c Ukraine," a pop up retail outlet inside the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue.
“I was working with an orphanage where disabled children are staying so we created this little collection of dolls, 'Special Dolls for Special People,'" she explained.
The dolls are made with flax straw and sustainable fabrics. All proceeds support the Ukrainian orphans.
The proceeds from another effort of hers, the "Everybody Needs a Home Pillow" collection support a Ukrainian shelter for mothers escaping domestic violence.
"I think we all deserve good life, and good care and I would like to give a little bit to people who need... the help," she stated.
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Many of the small business owners at c Ukraine have committed to donating a portion of their proceeds to rebuild an eastern Ukrainian hospital damaged by a Russian missile attack.
“We are strengthening the bridge between the Ukrainian community and American community, because we share the same values and those are the values we are fighting for,” said Yevgeniy Drobot, Ukraine Deputy Consul General.
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SIGN UP Thanks to federal COVID relief grants, World Business Chicago partnered with the Consulate General of Ukraine and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs to transform once vacant storefronts into culturally rich, immersive experiences.
“We have a new pop up opening next door, which will have an additional number of small businesses representing Poland, Pakistan, India and Kyrgyzstan that opens in a couple of weeks," said Andrew Hayes, World Business Chicago's vice president of marketing and communications.
