Here she was, a world away from her life as a hairdresser in Ukraine, working alongside 13 other Ukrainians who'd come to the Twin Cities seeking refuge from the Russian invasion of their homeland. Three mornings a week, they leave a pair of houses in the Minneapolis neighborhood of Dinkytown to drive 20 miles to the Home Depot warehouse and start their 6 a.m. shift. Last week, eight more Ukrainian newcomers started training at the warehouse – along with another four in stores — and more are expected.
This hub of Ukrainians is finding early success after many refugees faced a rough start last year, waiting months for work permits and struggling to find jobs. The federal government approved an immediate work authorization for most incoming Ukrainians in November, and the nonprofit that helped bring Hrebenyk and her coworkers to Minnesota — American Service in Ukraine — has had more time to talk with employers about hiring new arrivals. The Home Depot warehouse is serving as a starting point for this group, allowing them to establish themselves quickly and send money back home.
"We're excited to hire as many refugees as we can help," said Silas Mayberry, human resources director for Home Depot's Northern Plains region.
He'd spent time in Eastern Europe in high school and college and still is in touch with friends from Poland. Upon learning about American Service in Ukraine, Mayberry reached out to talk about hiring the newcomers. He knew Home Depot had many jobs to fill as the new warehouse opened and the company prepared for its busy spring season. Warehouse associate jobs start at $20 an hour.
Hrebenyk is one of the handful of top English speakers in the cohort who can interpret for fellow workers as needed. Home Depot leaders gave training presentations using a program that transcribed their remarks live into Ukrainian on the screen. Becker also learned from the new employees how to give common directions in Ukrainian — left, right, up, down, back, stop.