Morgantown Sister Cities Commission Welcomes Ukraine Women Veterans

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The City of Morgantown's Sister Cities Commission welcomed Ukrainian Women Veterans as part of a collaborative effort hosted by West Virginia Council of International Programs and WVU’s Global Affairs Office. The visit from March 24 to April 1 serves as an opportunity to learn about U.S. services, programs and resources for U.S. veterans and military service personnel.

City Councilor Ixya Vega and Sister Cities representatives George Lies and Liz Finklea hosted an intercultural Welcome Lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn at Suncrest Center on Tuesday, March 28. They attended other meetings to determine how local agencies handle veteran affairs.

The visit is made possible through a small grant from the Open World Leadership Center and sponsored in part by U.S. Department of State through the USA Council of International programs. This follows a 2019 Morgantown visit of Ukraine veterans who learned of support services for U.S. veterans, from policy makers, government officials, community and university stakeholders.

The Ukraine delegation is expected to apply what they learn upon return home and advise Ukrainian Ministry of Veterans and local policy makers to bolster programs and services. They help serve veterans and support hard-pressed families of Ukraine’s military service personnel.

The delegation also visited the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Clarksburg, other resource centers, and briefings in Washington, D.C. For program info, write to WVU Coordinator, Deanna Epps, by email at deanna.epps@mail.wvu.edu.

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