Oklahoma Native Helps People Fleeing Both Ukraine And Russia Build New Lives From Scratch

While the war in Ukraine rages into a new phase, an Oklahoma native living in the country Georgia is helping refugees escape the violence when they arrive with nothing.

The man, Bobby Chambers, helps them get a home and groceries.

Chambers ended up in Georgia after he fled his home in Siberia shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine.  

"You see the commonality of, like, they just saw a ghost. They have lost the most," said Chambers.

Chambers spent the last three years abroad helping business owners themselves in Siberia, Russia and Kyiv, Ukraine.  

It's through these contacts, some he made stateside, that helped link him with those who fled to Tbilisi, Georgia.

"You can spend money here, you can live and breathe and enjoy, but you can't be employed. You can't take a job away from the Georgian workers," said Chambers. "You hear the stories of those that thought they took enough. They didn't take enough diapers. They didn't take any water. Their cars didn't make it."

He has helped around 21 Ukrainian and Russian people find a place to live.  

Since his efforts began, rent has more than doubled.  

He also makes sure they have food on the table and diapers.  

While he is still thinking about the people he has helped, Chambers said he worries about others who try to escape the war.

"Especially for the guys in Ukraine. I was afraid to even text them because I was afraid they wouldn't text back because they were gone," Chambers said. "So far, that hasn't been happening. They've been happy. They keep telling me, 'Keep texting me. Keep telling me what, you know, how you're doing. Keep asking me.'"

For those who did reach safety, Chambers said they try to not think about who they left behind.

"One of the things you learn to not talk about, right?" Chambers said. "Tomorrow has to happen. It's going to happen, and you can't see tomorrow's brightness if you keep looking into yesterday's darkness."

Chambers said most government relief supplies are sent to Poland, on Ukraine's opposite border, and places like Amazon don't deliver some necessary supplies to Georgia.  

Chambers is currently working out a way to get supplies to Tbilisi.

In the meantime, there is a GoFundMe set up to help with costs. 

All donations go straight toward relief efforts for the refugees. Donors can even dictate what the donation goes towards such as food or housing.

If you'd like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.