Helping Refugees in Need

How We Started

Our mission is very simple: To secure funds for refugees in need

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In April 2022, a young Ukrainian mother and her two children arrived in the US. They had each left their country with just a 50lb suitcase, thinking they would return in a few weeks when the unrest had settled. Their initial plans to stay in Albany didn’t work out, so a local church in Saratoga Springs, NY welcomed them and gave them housing on their property designed to help refugees in need. When Kathy Callahan, a 3rd generation Saratogian, met this young family, she knew she had to help them. Her friends donated small amounts of money that helped this family get settled in their new country. 

As the war continued, more families arrived from Ukraine. Kathy was getting more donations and realized she needed to establish a 501(c)3 with the IRS and form a Board. ​In the first few years, the Sunflower Fund helped fly a family to the US, enrolled the children in school, got medical coverage, paid for part of an expensive dental bill, paid for English classes, sent children to camp, and found housing,  Many of our residents have found work in restaurants, hospitals, schools, retail stores, and offices. Because they have their own income, they have been able to buy their own cars, pay their own rent, and furnish their apartments

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Board Members: Kathryn Callahan, President; Alicia Denee Henson, Vice President; Margot Tohn, Treasurer;
Joan Putman, Secretary. 

​The Sunflower Fund, named after Ukraine's national flower, is committed to helping refugees in need.