When I first came to Ukraine, I thought the streets would be empty. I pictured people hiding in their homes, scared to go outside. But it wasn’t like that at all.

Even with the war going on, people are still living their lives. I saw folks walking around, getting supplies, talking—like it was any normal day. It’s not that they aren’t scared—they just keep going. These people are strong in their own quiet way.

On my first evacuation, we got four people out safely. Even in that town, with incoming artillery hitting every so often, people were still outside, going about their day.