On her future with the relief program
“We are not welcoming new arrivals. That program has been suspended. No more people are coming. And I thought that that would be it. I don’t want to run a nonprofit just to run a nonprofit.
“I think my last push … is if they can have the choice of having a green card, and if they can stay here, then I’ll be done. But I just need to make sure that what I began, I finish, and I finish well.
“I’m happy just to go back to my sourdough bread and being a stay-at-home mom. But I guess it’s just, you know, I’m willing to do what God wants me to do.
“If he’s going to keep opening doors, I will keep working. If it is done, I’m happy to be done. I’m just available.”
On the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, followed by Trump welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to Washington, D.C.
“This whole year, 2025, we’ve been working with our federal delegation in asking for … Ukrainians to be able to adjust to permanency from humanitarian parole.
“We’ve been saying, ‘Please talk to Secretary (of Homeland Security) Kristi Noem. Please talk to the president.’ … We’re pushing for this, and all of a sudden, he’s here. And I’m saying, ‘We can’t get any closer. He came to us.’ And I’m full of hope. But nothing has come of it.”
On her worries for the future of Ukrainian refugees in Alaska
“Their status is in limbo. They can’t go back to Ukraine because they don’t have a home, and they’ve lost family members — or their family is also scattered around the globe.
“They can’t go to Europe because Europe’s doors are closed to refugees now. And they can’t be here. So where do they go? It’s very unfortunate.
“And then the war in Ukraine isn’t over. We were so hopeful. It was this anticipation that, ‘That’s it. A deal is going to be made.’ And there was movement. And movement is good because (we thought) something’s going to happen, because nothing has thus far for these three-and-a-half years.
“And now three weeks have passed with no change in the status of the war. It hurts. It hurts because we feel like it’s just prolonging the kicking of the can. It was happening so quickly, and then nothing changed.
“Ukrainians are continuing to die, and then the Ukrainians who are here are continuing to be chained to this limbo status. It hurts.”
On relying on her faith when all hope seems lost
“That’s the only thing I have left. I think, as Christians, that’s where we end up. It’s, ‘OK, Lord, I have knocked on every door. I have pushed everywhere I could. I have called everyone I know. I just give this into your hands, and I know you’re in control.’”