Free Clinic patients become Cupboard volunteers to give back to their new community

Olga Akhrameeva and her husband Pavel Kuzmin had such a positive experience at the Free Clinic that they decided they wanted to become volunteers for one of Upper Valley MEND’s other programs to give back to their new community.

When Olga Akhrameeva and her husband Pavel Kuzmin first drove through Leavenworth, they had already traveled to several different countries and across the United States, looking for a place to live.

The travel, while beautiful, was taking a toll. Originally from Russia, the couple left their country after the Russia/Ukraine war broke out.

“First of all, because we didn’t want to be a part of [the war] in any way,” said Olga. “But also because we had both been politically active to some extent, and it simply wasn’t safe to stay.”

Seeking a new place to call home had been an arduous process. Once they made it to the U.S., they had to learn to navigate brand new systems, including the tax system and medical care. Olga also worked as they traveled. By the time they reached Leavenworth, both Olga and Pavel were exhausted, and sick.

“We had some serious health problems caused by stress,” said Olga. “We didn’t know what to do. We felt really lost.”

They went to Cascade Medical and noticed a sign for the Upper Valley Free Clinic. Although Olga had medical insurance through her job, Pavel didn’t. Despite having some biased ideas about what a free clinic would look like based on movies they’d seen, they decided to try it out. Their doctor that night was Free Clinic Manager Karl Kranz.

“Dr. Kranz was super nice,” said Olga. “He treated us with dignity. We immediately felt very welcomed.”

The search for a new place to call home

The couple had felt like they were driving through a Hollywood movie during most of their drive across the country. Thanks to movies, video games and other media, they were already very aware of what the United States looked like—an impression that didn’t change during their drive—until they reached Leavenworth.

“Finding something that looked more like Europe was relaxing,” Olga said.

Olga had a work visa through her job at a small American IT firm, where she’s a software developer. Although she has always had the option to telecommute for her job, the first place they tried to live once they moved to the U.S. was in the city where the firm was based.

“We ended up landing in Miami,” said Olga, “But Miami is very hot for Russian people.”

They decided to head north, where the climate was more like Russia. Since both Olga and her husband work in IT, they headed toward Seattle, a known IT hub, and ended up stumbling into Leavenworth on their way. Although Pavel is currently on a spouse visa and can’t yet work in the U.S., they’re in the process of applying for green cards. This would allow Pavel to find a job in his field—being close to Seattle will hopefully make it easier for him to find a job.

During their visit to the Free Clinic, the couple noticed information about Upper Valley MEND, so they looked up the organization. Not only did they learn about all the programs MEND offers to people who need them, they also learned that they could volunteer for MEND, too.

Olga and Pavel have now lived in Leavenworth for several years. Olga works a weekly volunteer shift at the Community Cupboard and continues to work remotely. Her husband Pavel also volunteers at the Cupboard, doing grocery rescue. When they can, they also help glean.

“We thought [volunteering at MEND] was a great way to reach out to the community and to give back to the people who welcomed us here,” said Olga.

The feeling of community Olga feels in Leavenworth—and in the U.S. in general—is one that initially took her by surprise. Most of what she thought she knew about the U.S. before coming here focused on money and materialism, but that hasn’t been her experience. Olga has enjoyed the sense of community she’s seen, and being able to be a part of it, too.

She watches people bring in bags of food to donate at the Cupboard; she thinks the produce donated by local farmers at the Cupboard is even better than what she can find in the grocery store. Olga also appreciates that MEND reflects the values she and her husband share.

“Everyone deserves to have their basic needs met,” she says. “And if you have the ability to help others, you should. It’s as easy as that.”

Much like her own experience, Olga sees helping and being helped as two sides of the same coin.

“Both giving and taking makes you part of the community,” she says. “You should be able to do both.”