在拜登政府的领导下，苏珊和特德·霍姆斯向柳德米拉和沃洛佳·斯戴普尼克以及他们的三个孩子尤利娅、米特罗和韦罗妮卡开放了他们的家“团结为乌克兰”重新安置计划。
乌克兰家庭将庆祝他们在美国的第一个感恩节，围坐在餐桌旁，了解美国的传统和食物。苏珊·赫姆斯说，在康涅狄格州达连的一个寒冷的夜晚，她在家里端上一份晚餐，从锅里拿出一袋袋蒸包心菜，他们感到很幸运能够分享这两种文化。
"我们是不是应该去拿我们的盘子，拿我们的哈鲁普基?"苏珊·赫姆斯问道。
苏珊·赫姆斯说柳德米拉·斯戴普尼克熬夜做这道菜。这是乌克兰的传统之一，Liudmyla Stepnyk和她的家人在二月份俄罗斯入侵乌克兰时逃离了他们在乌克兰西部的家。
Liudmyla Stepnyk练习了一些英语，她说包心菜的口袋里装满了米饭、肉，并且是煮熟的。苏珊·赫姆斯说它们看起来像小礼物。
在餐桌上，分享食物可以感受到感谢和给予的精神。
(Back L-r) Ted Helms, Susan Helms, Dmytro Stepnyk and Volodymyr Stepnyk (pink) Veronika(pink shirt), Liudmyla,(white shirt) and Yulia are pictured in this undated photo.
米歇尔·弗兰岑/ABC新闻
斯戴普尼克一家是8月份来到美国的，他们仍在适应美国的生活。特德·霍姆斯说，对他和他的妻子来说，这是一个巨大的变化，他们是空巢老人。他说，两个家庭在烹饪方面分担责任，烹饪是乌克兰和美国食物的混合。
泰德·赫尔姆斯对美国广播公司新闻开玩笑说，他和沃洛佳·斯戴普尼克“只是吃饭和露面。”
苏珊·赫姆斯说，一旦战争开始，她就决心提供帮助，并通过她的寻找找到了在乌克兰的亲戚，并决定资助他们来美国。她和沃洛佳·斯戴普尼克在脸书建立了联系。
根据乌克兰的戒严令，抚养三个或更多孩子的男性可以延期结婚。Volodya Stepnyk说，他决定去，以确保他的孩子的安全。三个孩子中最大的尤利娅·斯戴普尼克(Yulia Stepnyk)说，在与苏珊·赫姆斯取得联系并获准来美国之前，她的家人先逃到了波兰
根据“团结乌克兰”计划，美国公民可以资助仍在美国境外的流离失所的乌克兰人。他们申请获得为期两年的临时人道主义生活和工作签证，并通过审查程序。苏珊·赫姆斯说，这家人一到，孩子们就去上学了。
Yulia Stepnyk今年17岁，正在读高中最后一年。她的兄弟姐妹在读中学，已经在美国庆祝了生日。
Volodya和Liudmyla Stepnyk说，他们正在努力为他们的孩子创造最好的生活，并感谢他们能够来到美国。
所有人都说他们找到了平静——一种离开家后从未感受过的平静，但他们仍然怀念过去的生活。
Yulia Stepnyk接受了这个节日的信息，并说起初来到一个新的国家感觉很奇怪，但她说她不再害怕。
“我感谢我周围的所有人，”尤利娅·斯戴普尼克告诉美国广播公司新闻。“因为你来到了另一个国家，在陌生人的家里，而现在当我们吃这些饭的时候。我就是感受到了这份爱。”
American family welcomes Ukrainians to Thanksgiving table
Susan and Ted Holmes opened up their home to Liudmyla and Volodya Stepnyk and their three children, Yulia, Dmytro and Veronika, under the Biden administration's"Uniting for Ukraine"resettlement program.
The Ukrainian family will celebrate their first Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., gathering around the table and learning about the American tradition and foods. Susan Helms says they feel blessed they can share both cultures with her serving up a dinner at her home — pulling pockets of steamed stuffed cabbage out of a pot on a chilly night in Darien, Connecticut.
"Should we go get our plates and get our halupki?" Susan Helms asked.
Susan Helms says Liudmyla Stepnyk was up late making the dish. It is one of the Ukrainian traditions Liudmyla Stepnyk and her family find comfort in after fleeing their home in Western Ukraine when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Liudmyla Stepnyk practices some of her English, saying the pockets of cabbage are filled with rice, meat and are boiled. Susan Helms say they look like little presents.
Around the dinner table, the spirit of thanks and giving is felt with the sharing of meals.
The Stepnyk family arrived in August and are still getting used to life in America. Ted Holmes says it's been a big change for he and his wife, who were empty nesters. He says both families share responsibilities in terms of cooking, which is a mix of Ukrainian and American food.
Ted Helms joked to ABC News that he and Volodya Stepnyk "just eat and show up."
Susan Helms says she was determined to help once the war began and through her search was able to find relatives in Ukraine and decided to sponsor them to come to the U.S. She and Volodya Stepnyk connected on Facebook.
Under Ukraine's martial law exemption, men who are raising three children or more can receive a deferment. Volodya Stepnyk says he made the decision to go to ensure the safety of his children. Yulia Stepnyk, who is the oldest of three children says her family first fled to Poland before connecting with Susan Helms and getting approval to come to the U.S.
Under the "Uniting for Ukraine" program, American-based citizens can financially sponsor displaced Ukrainians who are still outside the U.S. They apply to receive a temporary two-year humanitarian live and work visa and go through a vetting process. Susan Helms says once the family arrived, the kids were enrolled in school.
Yulia Stepnyk is 17 years old and in her last year of high school. Her siblings are in middle school and have already celebrated their birthdays in the U.S.
Volodya and Liudmyla Stepnyk say they are trying to make the best life they can for their children and are grateful they could come to America.
All say they are finding peace --something they haven't felt since leaving their home but still miss the life they left behind.
Yulia Stepnyk has embraced the message of this holiday and said at first it felt strange coming to a new country, but she says she is no longer fearful.
"I'm thankful to all of the people around me," Yulia Stepnyk told ABC News. "Because you came to another country, in the stranger's house, and now when we have these meals. I just feel this love."
