Whether she’s wandering around Chisinau taking pictures of floating houses for ducks, hopping off her bus to take in the beauty of Chernivtsi, or watching the Lviv opera the same day she responded to air raids, our own Cortney Copeland is carrying her love for Ukraine with her all across Europe. She’s currently taking a one-year leave of absence from her job in California to complete a one-year master’s program at Central European University in Vienna where she is focusing on nationalism studies, specifically in the US and Ukraine, and enjoying the Christmas markets around town.
Cortney returned to L’viv in November 2024.
To those of us who have worked with Cortney on the Alliance, it’s no surprise that Cortney’s graduate work is focused on Ukraine. Her commitment to her country of service shows through her life and work in California and with the RPCV Alliance for Ukraine. Cortney was the longest-serving board member to date on the Alliance and served in several roles, beginning as Secretary, then President, and finishing her time as the Director of Finance.
Cortney was at the helm of the ship when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. She remembers taking a few days off work when the invasion started, to get her bearings, which led to responding to early inquiries that came to the Alliance. “We were inundated with requests and ideas – even UNICEF and the State Department were contacting us, and emails were coming out of the blue with this or that project idea or funding need.” She shares that together, the board worked through the myriad of requests and settled on four primary projects: 1) the Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) campaign; 2) Uniting for Ukraine; 3) Babusya’s Kitchen; and 4) The Peremoha Mini-Grants Program.
While in California, Cortney sold Babusya’s Kitchen at fairs and bookstores.
“I am really proud of the synergy we’ve built between the Babusya’s Kitchen cookbook and the grants program. These were initially separate efforts with separate teams of people, and we came together in a way that now feels so natural it’s hard to imagine anything else.” The connection came from passion and energy from RPCVs looking for a way to engage and a community willing to support Ukraine. To date, the Babusya’s Kitchen team has sold around 4,000 copies of the Volunteer cookbook through direct distribution and collaboration with a growing number of independent bookstores. Altogether, the book sales have raised enough money to fund nearly $95,000 in Peremoha Mini-Grants. In the new year, the team intends to release an updated edition of Babusya’s Kitchen that includes stories from the grants program.
Cortney stepped down from the board in August 2024 as she prepared to move to Vienna with her two cats. But even while studying abroad, Cortney has remained engaged with the Alliance, sending in a video to celebrate Peace Corps Ukraine, managing the Perehoma Auction for Action from afar, and joining us for a member meeting soon after her arrival in Vienna.
Cortney served two full terms on the RPCV Alliance for Ukraine’s Board of Directors.
It was her endless optimism for projects and her die-hard commitment to work that motivated the Board of Directors to accomplish so much under her leadership. She often reflected on her service in Cherkasy from 2017-19. “I was so inspired by their vision of how things in Ukraine could get better, and their motivation to drive that change under challenging circumstances. I learned that you can strive for excellence even when the deck is stacked against you.” As an RPCV, former Board Member, and tireless Ukraine advocate, Cortney never gives up the fight. “My counterpart once described the war as a black hole that will endlessly take all the energy and resources you can feed it. So you have to decide how much you can do and how much you can give without letting yourself be consumed by the black hole.” Cortney has managed her workload while navigating family challenges, moving, and having two horses she deeply loved pass at the same time. She encourages people to practice self-care and seek help when needed. “Maybe you channel your feelings into art and make something beautiful. Maybe you seek connecting and simply share space with other people. Maybe you tune out the war and focus on raising kind and conscientious children. That is all valid and meaningful. Know these things about yourself, make your most effective tools available for yourself, and use those tools to do something good. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s not related to Ukraine.”
As we come to the end of 2024, we want to celebrate the great work Cortney and our other volunteers have done this year. We appreciate you and everything you’ve brought to the Alliance for Ukraine and are grateful for your membership as we find ways to support our beloved Ukraine in the new year.