Eps 5 | What Could Be Better Than Making Money | Tonya Levchuk and Galyna Parker

What makes someone walk away from a successful career and dedicate their life to helping others?

For Tonya Levchuk, the answer wasn't a single moment. It was a gradual realization that making more money wasn't going to bring the same fulfillment as making a real impact.

Originally from Kyiv and now based in Austin, Texas, Tonya has been supporting Ukraine since 2014. Long before the full-scale invasion began, she was already organizing and delivering humanitarian aid. But when the war escalated, she realized the scale of the need required something bigger.

That's how Liberty Ukraine Foundation was born.

Today, the organization delivers medical supplies, evacuation vehicles, engineering equipment, support for children who lost parents in the war, and assistance for hospitals and rehabilitation centers across Ukraine.

What makes the story even more remarkable is that the organization operates almost entirely through volunteers.

No large offices. No corporate structure. No salaries.

Just people united by a mission.

During our conversation, Tonya explained that running a nonprofit is surprisingly similar to running a business. You still need leadership, decision-making, strategy, fundraising, and the ability to adapt quickly.

The difference is that every decision carries a different kind of weight.

When resources are limited and requests exceed what you can provide, someone has to decide who receives help and who has to wait. Those choices are often the hardest part of the job.

Over the past four years, Liberty Ukraine Foundation has delivered more than $20 million worth of aid. Yet Tonya measures success differently.

For her, success is the soldier who made it home because of an evacuation vehicle. The child who received support after losing a parent. The family that found hope when they thought they had run out of options.

One story stood out.

A young girl in Ukraine who had beaten cancer needed a specialized medication available only in the United States. The treatment was incredibly expensive and difficult to access. After months of emails, calls, negotiations, and persistence, Tonya and her team found a way to secure the medication at a fraction of the original cost.

For the girl's family, it meant hope.

For Tonya, it was another reminder of why she continues doing this work.

We also discussed fundraising and one of the biggest misconceptions people have about donations.

Many people think their contribution is too small to matter.

Tonya disagrees completely.

According to her, the foundation didn't raise millions because of a handful of wealthy donors. It happened because tens of thousands of people decided to contribute whatever they could. Five dollars. Ten dollars. Twenty dollars.

Those small actions added up.

When asked what advice she would give someone who wants to support a cause but has no money, her answer was simple: start with what you do have.

Your time. Your skills. Your network. Your effort.

Organize an event. Sell something you no longer need. Offer a service. Teach a skill. Find creative ways to help.

Most importantly, lead by example.

Throughout the conversation, one theme kept appearing again and again: persistence.

Tonya refuses to accept "no" as a final answer.

Whether it's securing critical supplies, raising funds, or helping a child access life-saving treatment, she believes that if a solution exists, it's worth continuing to search for it.

And perhaps that's what makes her story so inspiring.

Not the millions raised.

Not the scale of the organization.

But the belief that one person can make a difference - and the willingness to prove it every single day.

Watch this episode on YouTube.