A Low Country Boil in South Carolina

(gentle music) - [Lidia] I'm invited to a dinner to honor the Ukrainians and the community that has helped them.

In typical South Carolina fashion, it's a low country boil.

(gentle music) - Thank you so much for coming.

Everyone here is either a Ukrainian newcomer to our community, or you are people that have played a critical part in welcoming everyone here.

This is our good southern Hartsville welcome to Lidia.

(crowd clapping) Would you like to start us off?

- Would I?

(crowd laughing) So I take a little bit of everything?

- [Curtis] A little bit of everything.

- [Woman] Whatever makes you happy.

- [Curtis] Whatever you want.

- After meeting all these people, I had this kind of warm sensation.

The whole community has opened its door.

It's really willing to accept these immigrants.

- It's a population of 8,000 in Hartsville, South Carolina, but suddenly this community has now sponsored four other families.

It's amazing.

(speaking Ukrainian) - I remember vividly from my mother and father.

We would go to bed, they would whisper, and sometimes my mother would even cry.

"Did we make the right choice?

"Are we gonna be okay?

"Are the kids gonna be fine?

"Can they make their life into this new world?"

- He doesn't want to go back to Ukraine.

But just for the future, maybe after a while we just get home.

The goal is not really certain.

(kids yelling) (whistle blowing) Now I just want him safe, peaceful, healthy life.

(kids talking) (whistle blowing)