Pierce County Executive, Bruce Dammeier announcement.
It was hard to watch. A year ago, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. (Actually, the Russian efforts to subjugate Ukraine extends back to 2014 with the annexation of Crimea).
Many of my generation and older can vividly recall Soviet tanks rolling into Czechoslovakia in 1968 to crush an independence movement – and before that in Hungary in 1958. But this time was different. The Ukrainian people stood up to what appeared to be the overwhelming Russian military. They fought for their freedom – and I was inspired by their courage.
But they could not stop the devastation wrought by the invading forces. Cities, homes, schools, and hospitals were attacked, and many civilians had to flee their country which had become a war zone. Millions of refugees fled – to Europe, to the United States, and to Pierce County.
We have a long history of welcoming immigrants and refugees to Pierce County. And this time is no different – our Pierce County colleagues and our community stepped in to help those forced out of their homeland. I have shared previously about our recent coat drive for our new Ukrainian neighbors.
Our friends at Tacoma Community House (TCH) recently posted a video to thank you, and I wanted to share it. TCH has a long history – tracing back to 1907 – of helping immigrants in our community.
It is hard to think that the people in this video were forced to flee their homes and their country with only a suitcase of clothes – especially the young children. But I am inspired by our community welcoming them with open arms – and the smiles on their faces.
Before I close, I want to share another fun video. This one is for Pierce Trips. Our Sustainability Team recently recognized the winners of the annual business commuter program. This effort is all about providing options for folks who commute to work in ways other than alone in a gas-powered car. Needless to say, those options have expanded post-pandemic.
I’m proud that several of our County locations were recognized for our work to encourage commuting options and I salute the other companies on the list of honorees.
Having watched the video, can you think of any commuting options that might work for you?
Thanks for reading.
I remember the Hungarian Revolt of 1956 (not 1958), and later met a friend who escaped from Hungary at the time of the revolt, who told me of her harrowing experiences there. More can be found on Wikipedia.