SARASOTA – Earlier this month, SNN introduced you all to a Sarasota woman desperately looking for a place for her Ukrainian family to stay, after hitting a wall with the community HOA.
“If been feeling a little bit of anxiety a little bit of stress, but now that it’s coming together I feel extremely grateful,” said Sarasota resident, Heather Anthou.
At the beginning of March, Sarasota resident, Heather Anthou and her three children welcomed her cousin and her family to stay in her home after they fled the war in Kyiv. Since their arrival in early March, Heather began receiving complaints from the Palmer Oaks Homeowners Association for having multiple family members living in her home without permission. Heather was notified her family would have to find somewhere else to live by the end of April. Fast forward a couple of weeks, Heather now sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We actually had a snowbird reach out to us that is leaving to go up north May 12, so they are being extremely generous and letting Alina and her family use their home for the duration of their absence up north,” said Anthou.
Heather says the only response she has gotten from the HOA, is this seven day notice for her family to move out by April 30th. It was taped to her front door.
A close friend has offered her home to the family of four until they can move in May.
“We’ve got it all covered, we have really great people in the community, this is the Sarasota that I wanted my family to see and enjoy, I’m very happy,” said Anthou.
As for Alina and her family, the waiting game continues
“We will be waiting for September, and looking at the situation, if it will be safe to return to Ukraine,” said Ukrainian for Kyiv, Alina Stopina.
Heather says her family has received an outpour of support since sharing her story.
“This just really restored my faith in humanity, that there are people that care, there are people that do want to help and there are people that would’ve done the same thing that I did,” said Anthou.
The Palmer Oaks HOA has not returned any phone calls or emails to SNN. All calls go straight to voicemail.
