HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Arkansans are still searching for ways to help the people of Ukraine.
That includes Sergiy Polyakov, who's the owner Alexa's Creperie in Hot Springs and is Ukrainian himself.
Each day, he works to keep the breakfast and lunch rush flowing smoothly at his restaurant. But, times are different now, as his thoughts are focused on his family in Ukraine.
"When somebody from [my] family calls me and we're busy, I know maybe some customers see how stressful or angry I am," Polyakov said.
His mother, brother-in-law, and their four-year-old child are all still in the country actively looking for a way out.
"I have a friend, they help them. They meet him on the border," he said.
Polyakov and his wife moved to the United States in 2014.
They try to keep in contact with their family overseas, but he said the damage being done by Russian forces is making an escape nearly impossible.
"We try [to] call her and she told [us] 'I cannot walk this way, I need to come back because [the] bridge [is] destroyed or I need to take [the] train'," Polyakov said.
His family has been trying to get to Poland, but the journey of crossing the border from Ukraine is expensive.
As he looks for a way to help, Polyakov has received an influx of donations from customers. After receiving the donations, he then turned to his friends, Darbi and Todd Murray for help.
The two own The Gear Factory, a custom t-shirt printing business in Hot Springs.
"People had been offering him money, but he didn't really know how to channel that to where he needed to go," Murray said.
Both decided to create and sell shirts to help collect money from people who just want to help families in Ukraine.
"It just felt like someone's got to help. We have the means [and] it's got to be done," Murray adds.
But through it all, Polyakov's attitude remains hopeful.
He said that he's grateful people in his community are coming together in his hour of need.
"We open with our hearts to every one of our customers [and] we try make the best what we can. That's why people just try hard," Polyakov said.
The Gear Factory has received over $2,300 in donations and Polyakov said that money will help his family get from Ukraine to Poland for safety.
If you're interested in donating, you can find the donation site here:
The business also accepts in-person contributions.