Napa Valley to Ukraine, (NVTU) is a volunteer organization of residents and Ukrainian immigrants based out of Yountville and Napa that raises funds for and advocates for Ukraine support. Since 2023, we have increasingly focused on assisting Ukrainian refugees in the Napa Valley to increase their social support and community connection and to help them achieve their goals of independence. Donations to NVTU are tax deductible through our fiscal agent, Ukrainian American House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its tax ID is 83-399398.
For more information contact Debbie Alter-Starr: deb@napaukraine.org |707-480-7436.
History:
History: Napa Valley to Ukraine quickly came together in 2022 when the Starr family of Yountville became part of the Ukraine war story along with their Ukrainian student friends Viktoriia Stepanenko, Anastasiia Tovar, and Viktoriia Honcharuk. “We were concerned that full scale invasion was immanent so we all planned to get together to support each other the weekend of February 25-26, 2022. By the time our Ukrainian friends arrived in Yountville, the Russians had already invaded. Our focus shifted immediately to helping Ukraine by hosting a rally and fundraiser that weekend. We haven’t stopped raising funds since” share Debbie and Andy Starr.”
Their son, Aaron Starr, age 25, had been living and working in Kyiv for about four years. Aaron and his Ukrainian girlfriend Anna, fled to Poland when the bombing began. They were able to come to California the summer of 2022 when Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) visas became available.
Watch our Story from February, 2022
The Starr family visited Ukraine many times and fell in love with the people and the country as their son Aaron had. Many Jewish Americans including Debbie and Andy Starr trace their heritage to Ukraine. They had hoped to visit the towns their grandparents were from. When the war first started, Aaron and Anna intended to return to Kyiv to help the country rebuild. Now heading into the second year of the war, Aaron still wants to return to Kyiv, where he owns an apartment, which is now rented out to foreign embassy staff.