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| Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia Meeting With Local Ukrainian Community (Photographer Unknown) |
During the first week of April, Ukrainians from all over the nation gathered in Washington, DC for the Ukraine Action Summit, Spring 2025. Their goal was very simple - convince the U.S. Congress to continue to fund the defense of their homeland against the brutal and merciless Russian attacks that have just passed the three-year mark. They would knock on every possible door in the halls of power and try to explain why Ukraine mattered, knowing full well that the fate of the homeland rested in the hands of a very divided and remarkably fickle group.
Things haven’t really looked good for Ukraine in many months. Russian missiles, drones and bombs fall like rain on the cities, hospitals, schools and even playgrounds. Shortages in defensive systems and munitions, plus restrictive policies for their use are no match for the seemingly endless supply of Russian weapons. The drastic change in U.S. policy after the elections made the efforts of the Ukrainian community look hopeless, at least to me. The meetings came and went without much (if any) press coverage. Still, my friends from the Roanoke Ukrainian community returned home feeling hopeful that their efforts would pay off. Their main strength is that they never give up. Their hope and courage is inspiring.
Two weeks ago, I got a call from my friend Inna. She told me that Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia was going to meet with the Roanoke area Ukrainian community to brief them on his recent travels to Ukraine, Poland, Germany and Finland. She asked me if they could use 3rd Street Coffeehouse to hold the meeting. They’ve held a number of holiday celebrations at 3rd Street and always come with mountains of wonderful Ukrainian food, so of course I said yes. It was intriguing to me that a U.S. Senator would come to our little music venue to meet with his Ukrainian constituents. Inna asked if Greg Trafidlo and I could perform the song Ukrainian Now that we often perform for their gatherings. They draw strength from the song and songwriters Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon are pleased to know its effect (Greg used to play with Tom and told him).
The big day came, and the Coffeehouse was filled with excitement and, of course, a long counter full of Ukrainian baked delights. Senator Kaine arrived and was welcomed with a large and highly ornate loaf of Ukrainian bread. After a few minutes, he was seated at a small table and the room was hushed as he told of his trip. He recalled being in Ukraine on Palm Sunday, the day that the Russians sent a missile to a playground in Sumy, killing a bunch of kids. His meeting with President Zelenskyy was cancelled as he was responding to the massacre all day, but he met with other leaders. He visited a memorial site in Bucha, where so many were killed in the first weeks of the war. He met with leaders in Germany, Poland, and Finland to get their best views on what was needed. It seemed incredible that all of this was happening at 3rd Street - like a scene out of a movie.
Senator Kaine then took questions for about an hour. They were hard questions from Ukrainian constituents and refugees who were frustrated with America’s shifting policies, values and priorities. Some questions required translation from Ukrainian to English. All were spoken respectfully, but also with great pain, urgency and even despair. Lena spoke of her brother Sasha who had been killed in action just in March. Others spoke of families, friends and entire villages that had once been their homes, now in ruins. Senator Kaine listened to all of them with compassion and answered each fully. He didn’t dodge a single question. It felt like a moment from a history book. You could feel the pent-up emotions from everyone in the room.
Finally, the Senator said “I’ll take one more question and then I’ll join you for some music.” Greg and I took the stage to play Ukrainian Now. The Senator retrieved a well-worn harmonica from his pocket. An accomplished musician himself, he just said “tell what key you’re in and I’ll follow.” And follow he did, like we had rehearsed it for days. Greg and I took a break between verses and Tim filled in with a beautiful solo on the harmonica. There were a whole lot of tears flowing, including Greg and myself. From there, Tim took over and we played This Land Is Your Land, which he led everyone in singing. He finished with a beautiful rendition of Hard Times (Come Again No More) which was written by Stephen Foster in 1854. I’ve played with a lot of really great musicians, but I’ve never had a prouder moment on the stage.
3rd Street Coffeehouse started our 39th year that day. God knew what he was doing when put that little coffeehouse on the corner of 3rd Street and Mountain Avenue. Big things happen there all the time. People are healed. Communities come together to share love, hope, tears, laughter, dreams and music. A lot of prayers are heard there, and a lot of them are answered. Our prayers are with Ukraine. May the war end. May the people and the land be healed. And may we always remember that hope, prayers and love are more powerful than missiles, drones and bombs. Amen
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