Fifty volunteers and refugees with the TraNa Relief Association recently traveled more than 100 miles to Albany where the New York State Assembly formally recognized their work during a legislative session.
TraNa Relief Association, which stands for the Temporary Relief Assistance by National Association, is a nonprofit organization that assists Ukrainian refugees in building new lives in the United States. TraNa aims to make the transition to life in the United States as seamless as possible for Ukrainian refugees.
Since its founding, TraNa has helped an estimated 100 families directly and has acquired over 14,000 subscribers on their Telegram channel, where refugees reach out with questions and seek advice from TraNa.
According to a 2023 annual report published by Mayor Eric Adams’ Office of Immigrant Affairs, an estimated 40,000 displaced Ukrainians had fled to New York City since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
TraNa offers a broad range of resources to refugees, including group outings to cultural events, walking tours of New York, art therapy, assistance with household needs, personal hygiene advice, and skill workshops, like flower arranging.
“The work of every single volunteer involved reflects the very best of who we are as New Yorkers,” said Assemblymember Michael Novakhov (R-Brooklyn), during the session. “When we support groups like this, we’re not just helping individuals, we’re strengthening communities, and we’re living up to the promise of what this state should stand for.”
After years of tireless work, TraNa’s cohort of volunteers and refugees received a tour of the state capitol building and were celebrated for contributions to helping others.
“Everyone gave us a standing ovation. Every assembly (member) in the government gave us a standing ovation; it was a priceless moment to have New York state recognize your efforts and mission,” Natalia Travilina, TraNa’s founder and executive director, said of the June 9 event. “It was a priceless moment that no money could buy.”
A volunteer’s journey
Travilina’s volunteer journey began helping refugees through chats on the messaging app Telegram. As demand from Telegram subscribers increased, she founded TraNa in October 2022 to better meet their needs.
In addition to receiving a standing ovation in Albany for the nonprofit’s efforts, volunteers — including Kyryl Filatiev, Elena Novikova, Alena Zhukovich, Tatiana Segal, Yuliana Lavrova, and Nadia Levit — were formally recognized during their visit by the state Assembly through written citations.
Some of the award recipients are refugees themselves, including Lavrova, Novikova, and Filatiev. Novikova and Filatiev reside on Staten Island.
Filatiev immigrated to the U.S. with his family, settling on Staten Island. As an active TraNa volunteer, he provided 20 refugees with their own laptops last year.
In the citation that he received — signed by Novakhov on behalf of the state assembly — Filatiev was honored for a “continued leadership, achievements, and commitment to the service of others.”
Novikova’s citation commemorated a “continued engagement and dedication throughout their service to our great state.”
Lavrova was recognized for her ongoing work in teaching refugees about education in the country and providing resources for learning English (ESL).
Other TraNa volunteers recognized with formal citations included Zhukovich, who led four different walking tours through the city this past year, helping refugees navigate and learn more about New York. Segal, a housing attorney, was honored for regularly conducting free online seminars for refugees and individually connecting with them to resolve conflicts.
Levit, an accountant and a board member of TraNa, was honored for her work in assisting refugees to submit their first income taxes and conducting free online seminars explaining the tax process to refugees.
Despite the increase in demand for TraNa’s help, volunteers don’t get paid to help their clients. TraNa relies on grants, sponsors and donations to serve their clients.
“I know what it takes to leave everything behind and start building a brand new life from scratch where you don’t know anyone,” said Travilina. “If they need help, we will help them. We help everybody who needs us.”
For more information about TraNa or to donate, call (929) 800-0052, visit tranarelief.org, or email