MEDYKA, Poland — Paul Jeris, a businessman from Put-in-Bay, has been back and forth from Eastern Europe. On his Facebook page, he shows us refugees from Ukraine.
Jeris is of Polish decent, and knew he had to do something. He first met Angelica -- who crossed over with seven orphans -- at the Medyka border, where music from strangers try and calm the forsaken. He later met Diana and Anastasia.
"I was there to help to do anything to distribute money, blankets to people," Jeris said.
The girls were weary.
"It took us long way to get to border," Anastasia told us. "We didn't know what to do. We were so tired."
Then they saw Paul's parked car.
"He was sleeping in car and we just needed a ride," Anastasia added.
Jeris did more than that: He gave them food, clothes, shoes, and a job.
"Now they are working, they are my interpreters from group to group, family to family," Jeris said. "They personally have passed out $20,000."
Jeris helps raise money through a GoFundMe page, and has already obtained more than $40,000.
"Eighty percent need cash assistance," he explained. "They come with nothing."
For Diana and Anastasia, it's much more than the money. They came from Hell and found an angel roaming the earth, giving freely of anything he had.
"We didn't expect this much help," Anastasia admitted. "Knowing what's going on in Ukraine makes me depressed really. I don't know how, but he knows what to say and what to do and to put my mood up an not be crying, and I'm so grateful."