When an ENGin match becomes an international bridge: ENGin Volunteer Meets the Mayor of Uman

Recently, our volunteer Ava found herself at an unforgettable meeting with Iryna Pletnova, the Mayor of Uman, Ukraine. Standing beside her friend Kimberly, they presented important information for the Mayor in person, to expand trauma informed care to Ukraine. This was all made possible through the ENGin program. 

Ava introduced Kimberly to ENGin a year ago. Kimberly signed up as a volunteer and was matched with a speaking buddy from Uman, Ukraine. Her name is Oleksandra. Their weekly conversations quickly grew into deep discussions about mental health in Ukraine and the United States.  

How Trauma-Informed Care Entered the Conversation

Meanwhile, Kimberly learned about UC Davis CAARE Center, (Child and Adolescent Abuse Resource and Evaluation) in Sacramento, California. As a teacher, she had received trauma informed care to better serve her student's emotional needs, last spring. Not only does this model center provide services to families who are in an abusive environment, they also help people who have been through extreme traumatic events. The training they give to medical professionals and caregivers, provides the knowledge to identify mental trauma in individuals and treat them concurrently with their physical ailments. This will lead to better care at schools and hospitals, alleviating the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in children especially.  

This program had also been transformative for a friend Kimberly knows in California, who had suffered a traumatic event. When Kimberly mentioned this to Oleksandra, the reaction was immediate: this is exactly the kind of support Ukrainian communities desperately need. 

A Sister-City Visit That Created a Unique Opportunity

Then came the twist no screenplay could resist: the mayor of Uman was scheduled to visit California as part of the Davis-Uman sister-city partnership. Kimberly and Oleksandra made a simple suggestion: what if the mayor learned about UC Davis' trauma informed care model? City officials loved it and the Mayor was given a tour of the center.  

One ENGin match suddenly became a bridge between two cities, two healthcare systems, and two communities working to understand each other better. Kimberly and Oleksandra worked together to compile information to advocate for trauma informed care in Ukraine.  

A Small Meeting With Big Impact

So, last week, Ava and Kimberly met the Mayor in Davis, California. Ava presented her with an ENGin notebook decorated with the sunflower design she created for our merchandise earlier this year. Kimberly shared her ENGin story, and provided a packet of information about ENGin and the CAARE Center. Plus letters from Oleksandra, and herself. Ava even bravely spoke a few words in Ukrainian. A small meeting, but with the potential for big ripple effects. The Mayor warmly accepted this information and asked for contact information, to further this advocacy. 

This is ENGin at its core: one connection sparking another, turning conversations into collaboration, and creating real-world change in places that matter. 

Ava described the evening simply: “Amazing and unforgettable.” And honestly, we couldn’t agree more. 

Advocating for Ukraine Across Communities

Both Ava and Kimberly volunteer for local grass roots advocacy groups, the Sunflower Society of Sacramento and Yolo for Ukraine, which serves Yolo and Sacramento counties in California. They do monthly rallies at the California State Capitol to spread awareness about issues surrounding the invasion. They also work hand and hand with the American Coalition for Ukraine, to further political advocacy for Ukraine in the United States Congress.

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