About Us
NEVADA COUNTY FRIENDS OF UKRAINE
Nevada County Friends of Ukraine is a group of residents, concerned about the situation in Ukraine where their sovereignty is under threat, who came together in April of 2025 to form a group to help support Ukraine. We wanted to do something to help Ukrainians as they fight to preserve their lives, their land and their right to determine their future. And we wanted to learn more about the storied history and vibrant cultures of Ukraine, subjects little considered in our Western-oriented educational system.
Nevada County Friends of Ukraine aims to help Ukraine by raising awareness about the country, its history and culture, and the current status of the Russian invasion, as well as to provide support in a variety of ways, with both financial and emotional encouragement.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and prosecution of the war for the past 4 years has had a devastating effect on the entire country, on the soldiers and the civilians, on young and old alike. Relentless attacks on cities and civilians and the power infrastructure— far from the battlefield—seek to shatter morale and ensure sleepless, freezing nights. Any sense of normalcy is an illusion. Yet still, Ukrainians stand strong and proud. We admire and are inspired by their resilience and resistance in the face of this onslaught.
We envision a community of concerned citizens actively supporting Ukrainians during the war and its aftermath through fundraising, education, and advocacy. We envision establishing a sister city connection between Nevada City and a Ukraine city, laying the groundwork for a program of cultural exchange. In addition to raising funds, Friends of Ukraine also promotes ways to support Ukraine by joining NCFOU, raising awareness by talking to friends, contacting congressional representatives to voice support for Ukraine, staying informed by reading articles, and following Ukrainians on various social media platforms to offer morale support. If the plight of Ukraine touches you, we would love to have you join us in our efforts.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Steve Nicola has called Nevada City home since 1991, and in the three-plus decades since, he has been actively involved in his community. He has served as a broadcaster and board member of local community radio station KVMR, as a volunteer and board member of the South Yuba River Citizens League, and as a member of the Nevada County Planning Commission. In his 30-year career with the California Department of Fish and Game, he managed several statewide conservation programs, which gave him broad experience in organizational leadership and program management. Upon retirement, he was hired by the California Indian Basketweavers Association as resource program specialist, assisting basket weavers in their efforts to protect lands traditionally relied upon for gathering plants used in basket making.
Steve had been anxiously following the events in Ukraine since the 2022 full-scale invasion by Russia, when in early 2025, as the war was grinding on, a chance encounter gave Steve the opportunity to act on a simmering desire to do something to help Ukraine: he met Mykola Kindrat. Together they reached out to their community — known for its engaged, informed, and generous citizens — and began the process that has created Nevada County Friends of Ukraine.
Mykola Kindrat was born and grew up in in Western Ukraine, in L'viv; his mother lives there still. He was a young teenager when the Soviet Union was dissolved and Ukraine became an independent country again. He had witnessed the suppression of Ukrainian history and culture under the Soviets and then the freeing of Ukrainians to discover and express who they really were which helped him to develop a strong sense of social justice. He has a unique perspective on the attempted subjugation of Ukraine through warfare yet again as he has experienced life under oppression and freedom. As a thirteen year old boy, he was much more interested in American culture at the time rather than the folklore that was being rediscovered but he has come to greatly appreciate the rich culture of his homeland and wishes to share it with those who are interested to learn about it.
A powerful interest in self-growth and spirituality led Mykola to America in 2003 where he ended up in Nevada County in 2013. He’s attended Sierra College, worked at Milhouse Children Services, learned multimedia skills, and had a number of transportation jobs that he enjoyed as it brought him into contact with the people in the community. He felt very accepted in Nevada County and was struck by realizing that generations of people have been living here in safety and security which he believes is a powerful and necessary foundation for democracy. A foundation that needs to be re-established in Ukraine for it to survive and thrive.
Mykola is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in psychology and works at the Crisis Center which provides mental health community support and services. A co-founder of Nevada County Friends of Ukraine with Steve Nicola, he is heartened by the support Americans have shown for Ukraine and hopes for a victorious end to the devastating war (as we all do!) as he looks forward to the rebuilding of his home county.
Christine Foster has deep roots in Nevada County and has been a resident for over 40 years. She is a former Nevada City Council member, a former Vice Mayor, and a former Supervisor for District One. A realtor since 1980, she’s retired now. She was the President of the Nevada County Association of Realtors in 2013 and has served on the Music in the Mountains Board of Directors.
Christine’s father was born in Ukraine in 1923 and grew up in a harrowing time for Ukrainians. She learned just how harrowing when she co-authored a moving and enlightening memoir of her father’s life “A Generation of Leaves,” both a personal coming of age story and a story of the generations of Ukrainians longing for national independence. The dramatic tale mirrors the ongoing struggle Ukraine faces today. As a child of immigrants, Christine has recognized the intergenerational trauma that is carried in our family histories and she understands the struggle of oppressed people; of native and indigenous peoples, of black Americans, and yes, Ukrainians, all having decades and more often generations of ancestors who have fought not only for their families’ rights, but their very right to exist. She hopes we never forget how to stand up for that right and hopes maybe someday we don’t have to. Slava Ukrainia!
Suzanne Warren, an accomplished writer/director/producer, has been a resident of Nevada County for 22 years and has always felt the urgent need to bring awareness to injustice. She relocated from the Bay Area where she counted many Silicon Valley companies like Hewlett-Packard and Apple among her clients, as well as well-known entities Stanford University School of Medicine, Levi Strauss & Company, UPS, and Kraft General Foods. She’s produced successful videos and collateral for a variety of business clients for sales, motivational, and training purposes, and for non-profit organizations for fundraising and awareness creation. Locally, she produced the video and print material for the capital fundraising campaigns for KVMR and The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, and an awareness raising video for Nevada County Citizens for Choice about the dangers of returning to a time when abortions were illegal.
The plight of Ukrainians resonates deeply with her although she has no personal connection to Ukraine; she is determined to find ways to help them in their time of need by supporting Nevada County Friends of Ukraine communications to better raise awareness and funds in the community.